The Sick Captor
by IHaveNoSoul13
Summary: 'Pain, without love. Pain, can't get enough. Pain, I like it rough. Cause I'd rather feel pain then nothing at all.' Pain. Confusion. Agony. Wonder. Fear. Sorrow. Paranoia. Hate. Eight emotions amnesia brings. Eight emotions Kai shall feel. Rated M for rape, torture, swearing and insanity.
1. Amnesia (Almost!)

His eyes, lifeless. His personality, changed. Gone was his flames, replaced by a cold heart. A teenager who had held them close as a family, replaced by a boy which knew nothing, no one. Eyes that stared into souls, not hearts. A personality that were cold like ice, not burning like fire. A heart that beat, not cared. A boy who survived, not lived.

It had been a week, and the blue clad ninja decided to check on his brother, carrying spicy pasta, the way he liked it. He'd probably have to force feed him, but hopefully he'd eat. Unlikely, but hopefully. He opened the door, and gave a nod to say hello.

The boy groaned and turned his back to him. He said nothing however; these days he scarcely did.

"I brought you some food."

The blue ninja received the middle finger.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm being nice!" Jay pouted, but shook it off as he danced to the bed. In a singsong voice, he said, "I got you spicy pasta!"

There was a huff from the teenager, and he sat up and took the pasta into his hand. Jay smiled as the teenager ate.

He wasn't expecting a reply.

"Thanks clown."

'A little rude...' Jay thought, but was shocked at the coldness in his voice. It used to be energetic, confident. Now it was a emotionless, monotone voice.

Like the true him had died.

He forced a smile onto his face. "Do you want to hear a joke?"

The boy shook his head, shoving his empty bowl onto the floor and snuggling back into bed.

"You wanna sleep?"

A groan from the boy confirmed it.

"Sleep tight buddy."

The boy didn't respond.

"Sleep tight... Kai."

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

He didn't recognise the name that... guy had called him. He knew nothing. Nothing about anyone.

'I'm having trouble trying to sleep.'

He closed his eyes, but eyes haunted him.

'I'm counting sheep but running out.'

Those eyes haunted him, as a hand reached out.

'As time ticks by.'

More time, more time, give me more time!

'And still I try.'

No time left, Fire-boy.

'No rest for crosstops in my mind.'

Scream, Fire-boy.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Cole ran into the room as he heard a thud, and saw Kai on the floor, having a seizure. The amnesiac had suffered many various types of strange happenings, such as bed-wetting, difficulty breathing, etc.

He, Cole, had witnessed many of these, and when the former ninja had wet the bed, he'd change the quilts before anyone was awake.

Kai called him Saiyō papa (Cole didn't know Japanese), and Cole didn't mind.

Cole was the only one the Fire Ninja trusted.

That's why Kai was so heartless toward the others. He didn't trust them.

"Kai?" Cole tentatively asked after the seizure stopped.

Kai looked up at Cole, who held him in a hug. "Saiyō papa?" He murmured.

Cole nodded. "Mhm hm."

Kai yawned and nestled into the hug. "Saiyō papa..."

Cole smirked. That was pretty much all Kai said to him. Kai was soon asleep though, which was why Cole put him into bed. His face soon held a sorrowful expression as he looked at the amnesiac. "Sleep safe..."

He sighed and left the room.

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He scarcely spoke - what could he say?

'There's nothing left to say now...'

He knew nothing, no one.

'There's nothing left to say now...'

Only trusted the emo.

'I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now...'

It hurt to try to remember.

'I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now...'

So he gave up.

'There's nothing left to say now...'

My voice hurts, probably from the screaming.

'There's nothing left to say now...'

You can't scream, can you Fire-boy?

'I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now...'

Give it up, Fire-boy.

'I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now...'

I'm the only thing you'll remember.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Zane walked into Kai's room - to find he was asleep - for a reason unknown. He smiled. Cole had made it clear that Kai was asleep, and deserved it. That had been almost nine hours ago at almost eleven o clock in the morning, and tea was ready. He went to shake him awake, but he saw Kai shaking in his sleep.

"I need more time! Please! I'm sorry!" Kai was almost screaming.

"Kai?" Zane whispered.

'It seems he is having a nightmare.'

Having a female robot in your head was annoying. Zane knew this the hard way.

"I see that, PIXAL."

'I would request the others' help.'

"...I shall do such." He called Nya, Sensei, Jay and Cole, and they came running.

They didn't need to try wake him up, since the ex-ninja woke up screaming. Nya attempted to calm him down with a lullaby, and succeeded. But he started swearing at her, telling her to fuck off, go suck a dick, calling her names like a bastard, a cunt, etc. She was taken aback, but Jay assured her that this was normal.

He was screaming at them, and, despite noticing Cole, carried on.

"I don't know you! Get away! Leave me alone! I don't care! You shouldn't either! Go away!"

Tears prickled his amber eyes, which he hoped would go unnoticed. But they didn't, to his dismay, and it wasn't long until Nya was sitting on his bed. He tried to push her away, but she hugged you gently. He got angrier and pushed her to the floor.

"WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?! I DON'T KNOW YOU! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! JUST GO AWAY!" He screamed at her.

Tears prickled her dark blue eyes - inherited from her mother - as she stood up slowly. "Don't you want to?" She stammered.

"NO!" He screamed, after much hesitation. "I DON'T!"

Nya stood up slowly. "Kai-"

"WHO IS KAI?!" He screamed angrily. He curled up in bed and turned away from them. "Just... Just go away."

All but Kai turned to Sensei.

"Leave me with him." The wise old man ordered his students, who nodded and left the room.

Soft sobbing came through the sound waves and into Wu's ears. It came from Kai, and the Sensei shuffled to Kai's bed, which the ex-ninja had become so used to. In a forced whisper, he uttered a mere word, a question, "Kai?"

There was no reply.

"Kai, you must answer me."

...

"Kai!"

In a voice that was choking down tears, a reply came. "W-What?"

"What is wrong?

No reply.

" I will not ask you again. "

...

"..." A sigh instead of words left the white bearded man.

"Leave then." The same voice that choked down tears came again. The old man almost refused to believe that this scared, confused, quiet boy had been a, HIS, fearless, reckless, defiant Fire Ninja.

Who had down this to (HIS) Kai? They must be so twisted (insane) to do this to Kai.

Sensei Wu admired Kai's bravery, his determination, and although he was a bit rash, he wouldn't have it any other way. Kai, like the others, played a huge part in the safety of Ninjago, and everyone in it. If one were to crumble, so would the others - and Ninjago.

Kai wasn't crumbling.

He was breaking.

Breaking was worse.

And damn, he was breaking fast.

A silence hang in the air, tension wrapping itself inside the silence, and Wu gently held out a hand to touch Kai.

"Leave then." Suddenly the silence disappeared, and both were startled, unprotected, and Kai regretted speaking almost immediately.

Why did he speak?

Now he was unprotected?

Damn damn damn damn!

Sensei Wu sighed.

Kai didn't move his gaze from the wall he faced. He didn't try to stop his tears, he'd learnt not to. When he'd been captured... His captor... He'd loved to taste his tears. When Kai cried, his captor would pin him against the wall and lick them off, suck them off, brush them off... He never left Kai to cry.

To the Fire Ninja's dismay.

He didn't make a single movement.

And it would stay that way.

Soft sobbing came through the sound waves and into Wu's ears. It came from Kai, and the Sensei shuffled to Kai's bed, which the ex-ninja had become so used to.

"You are Kai. You are the Fire Ninja, the Red Ninja. You were an Elemental Master, and the other Elemental Masters, no one else, except I, Misako, Garmadon and Nya, nicknamed you-"

"Fire-boy?"

"...Yes..."

"I remember... A teenager. He wore a mask over him, so I couldn't see his face, but he could see me. But I knew he was a male - he sounded like one and told me himself."

"How did you meet this teenager?" Wu gently asked, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder.

"... He... He captured me. Kidnapped me. He hurt me..." Kai whispered, not exactly sure why in the Underworld (or whatever these people would call it - probably the same as everyone else) he was telling this... man (who looked like he was the son of the Creator - old - and a bit creepy) what had happened.

A look in the man's old eyes whispered, "Go on... Please... I'm genuinely concerned."

Kai took a deep breath. "He... He..."

"He what, Kai...?"

"He... He raped me."

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He looked at his captor through the fire.

'So light 'em up, up, up'

Tears of fear and pain glistened in his amber eyes.

'Light 'em up, up, up'

It burns! Please! Stop hurting me!

'Light 'em up, up, up'

No can do Fire-boy.

'I'm on fire'

It's funny. Watching you squirm in pain.

'So light 'em up, up, up'

Still putting up a fight.

'Light 'em up, up, up'

Even though you know there's no point.

'Light 'em up, up, up'

You know - putting up a fight.

'I'm on fire'

Because you know it's gone - the fight in you.

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Scream, Fire-boy.

I'm the only thing you'll remember.

Because you know it's gone - the fight in you

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A/N: This is after the Tournament of Elements, before Season Five and was started ages ago. Before Season Five. Yeah... I don't think it'd been introduced then. That's why the start is so crappy. Obviously, it'll be kind of disturbing at times (I think you would of got that from the bit where Kai says whoever captured him raped him), so if this kind of stuff disturbs you, please, if you don't like reading it, click off it. To those who wondering why I'm writing this shit, it's because I'm trying to get rid of some of my ideas (which is practically impossible. Dude, Neuro would go insane if he read my mind. No, seriously), and I actually write this stuff. I'm planning an original series called the Blood series, and one of the bad guys is a rapist and a slut. :) So yeah. If this gets deleted, damn. Yes this will probably have swearing (mostly on my behalf XD) and disturbing scenes. So yeah... If you want to read this, I warn you:

\- Crappy writing

\- Disturbing moments

\- Possible corruption

\- Kai amnesia fic

\- Very little Lloyd

Okay, if there's any more information you need, be free to ask. No flames please, as I will get depressed and have suicidal thoughts. -.-

Okay, A/N DONE!


	2. More Rape

To say they were shocked would be an understatement. So would that they were horrified. It was a merge of the two, and than times that by about infinity, as Jay would say.

"Kai got captured on a mission...?" Cole whispered.

"And raped...?" Jay whispered.

Lloyd and Zane had no comments - they were soothing Nya, who was in hysterics.

"And by a teenage boy...?" Misako whispered.

Tears pricked their eyes, knowing that someone they knew (since Kai had mentioned they'd called him Fire-boy - and only the two Sensei brothers, Misako, his sister, the other Ninja and the Elemental Masters called him Fire-boy) had kidnapped, hurt and raped Kai.

They had a list of suspects:

\- Zane

\- Jay

\- Cole

\- Lloyd

\- Nya

\- Karloff (A/N: I'm spelling it like that. So yah. No flames about that)

\- Griffin

\- Shadow (A/N: Again, I'm not calling him Shade. Shade is something you use to get out of the sun)

\- Invizable (A/N: I'M CALLING HIM THIS, OKAY?! Sorry about that...)

\- Ash

\- Neuro

\- Gravis

\- Bolobo

\- Jacob

\- Toxikita

\- Camille (A/N: Read Karloff's one)

\- Skylor

\- Misako

\- Wu

Immediately they were able to cross off people - all the females (Kai had confirmed it was a guy), Jacob (the poor man was blind - Kai had said his captor could see him) and Wu and the Ninja (they had always stayed on the Bounty while Kai was away). That left the following:

\- Karloff

\- Griffin

\- Shadow

\- Invizable

\- Ash

\- Neuro

\- Gravis

\- Bolobo

Jay looked at the list. "Why would any of them do it?" He turned to Zane. "Secret hatred for him? Lust?"

"I do not know, Jay. My knowledge is limited." The Nindroid answered.

"Gah!" Jay yelled, hitting his head on the desk.

"Calm yourself, Jay. It is upsetting, yes, but getting angry or upset will not help Kai's mental or physical state."

"Physical state?" The Master of Lightning questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"He has many scars and burns." The Master of Ice replied sadly.

"Oh... Who'd do such a thing? Hurting, raping...Kai? He doesn't deserve this, he never has deserved it. Ooh, I just wanna go and squeeze him!"

Zane sighed. "If you wish to visit him, you'll have to have Sensei Wu's permission."

"How come?"

"Because he is talking to Kai himself. I think he's trying to slim down the list of suspects."

"Ah."

"Since I haven't heard Kai speak all day, I think he is having little success. Perhaps you can help."

"Kay." Jay stood up, stretching and yawning, and started walking to Kai's room, knocking on the door and patiently waiting for an answer. Seven minutes later, Sensei opened the door. "Can I, uh, come in?"

Sensei Wu nodded gently and left the room, letting Jay walk in. Jay saw Kai curled up, his whole body but his shoulders and upwards covered in blankets. Despite it being the hottest week of summer, Kai showed little to no signs of being too hot. Well, that was until Jay came in.

Kai started panting, sweat dripping on his forehead, and squirming in the blankets. He looked at Jay almost pleadingly, and the Blue Ninja sighed.

"Too hot, buddy?" Jay sighed, walking to the Fire Ninja and taking the two top corners of the blankets in hand.

Kai shook his head immediately, as if saying, 'Don't take the covers off. Please.'

But Jay explained how hot it was, and took the blankets off Kai.

Kai was in his boxers, and nothing else, but that wasn't what alarmed Jay (the Ninja, Nya, Misako and the Senseis had seen Kai in his boxers - asleep of course - before so they had gotten used to it). Oh no. It was the burns and scars that were on Kai's body that really caused alarm. Kai pulled the blankets back up, pulling them to his chin.

"Kai... He burnt you?"

"Irony." The voice caught Jay off guard - he hadn't expected it,since Kai hadn't spoken for a good week.

"Uh?!"

"He called it irony. I'm the FIRE Ninja, he said. I should be able to take the heat." His amber eyes reflected the flames. "I couldn't."

"... Kai..."

"He said that I was weak, that is was a wonder how I stayed alive during the Serpentine War."

Jay quickly hugged him. "Kai, you're not weak. You wouldn't be a Ninja otherwise."

"... I was a Ninja?"

"Oh yeah - forgot about your memory loss."

"... How do you forget something like that?"

"Uh... I guess I-"

"Lunch is ready!" Nya called.

"Oh look at that. Gotta go."

Jay left Kai confused.

Kai sat up, stood up and put on a plain red T-shirt, red khaki style jogging trousers and black and red running shoes. He guessed red was a favourite colour of his, since the walls were red (dark red he noticed), as were the bedsheets, pillow cases and any other furniture in the room - and his clothes as well.

Whilst he had been alone one time, he'd found a Ninja outfit - again red. At first he guessed it was a fancy dress costume (he'd heard the blue clad boy talking about it) but then saw the others wearing the same kind (the blue clad boy wearing a blue one, the emo wearing a black one, another boy wearing a white one and the last one wearing a green one) - and they were certainly not attending a party (the old woman who was good friends with the old man who constantly visited him had made that clear). Plus the blue clad boy said he was a Ninja (and so had the old man).

Kai was awoken from his thoughts when emo walked through the door. "Hey Kai."

"Who is Kai?" He asked, but the question went ignored. He scowled.

"You hungry?" Emo asked.

"Yeah..."

"Good. Cause you're joining us for lunch."

"Wha...?"

"Come on!" Emo took Kai's hand.

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He could have escaped before he was captured, surely?

'Chances thrown.'

But he hadn't. Why?

'Nothing's free.'

He'd let himself get captured - and he couldn't remember anything before.

'Longing for,'

His thoughts were interrupted by his captor coming back in. He gulped.

'What used to be.'

His captor pushed him against the wall, pulling the bottom of his mask up to reveal his lips.

'Still it's hard.'

He squirmed to try escape his captor's grasp.

'Hard to see.'

Failed.

'Fragile lives.'

His breath was sucked away by his captor's lips on his own.

'Shattered dreams.'

Next thing he knew, he was being fucked.

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(Jay's POV, Present Tense)

Kai goes quiet - again. Perhaps he's remembering what happened. Hm... Poor guy.

What really bothers me so is why and how he got captured! Was he captured in his sleep because someone wanted to use him to hurt us and did all your things he did because of it? Was he drugged and captured because he was just there? ... No point asking Kai, cause he said he couldn't remember anything before the capture, or how he was captured. Gah! This guy's thought of EVERYTHING! How did he even know Kai was gonna be there?! Oh my Spinjitzu Master... What if this isn't the first time?! What if he's done it before?! What if he's hurt and raped and burnt so many others?!

I look at the list again and gawk. One of our friends, someone like us, has done this to Kai, and possibly other people. I growl. That thought makes me so MAD! I could just kick something!

Let's see... Let's throw the 'he's-done-this-before' theory out the window for a second, and let's see who'd have a grudge against Kai...

\- Karloff

Well, the guy was cheated outta a Jade Blade in the Tournament, but the two made up... Or did they...?

\- Griffin

Um... I dunno...

\- Shadow

He was falsely accused of being the spy by all of us. Maybe he did it to Kai because he was there...

\- Invizable

Um...

\- Ash

Kai won against him, and I didn't see any forgiveness between them...

\- Neuro

Um... I don't know...

\- Gravis

Um...

\- Bolobo

I kinda beasted him in the Tournament. Maybe Kai wasn't the actual victim.

Gah! I'm trying to be smart like Zane and work it all out!

Cole walks in as I slam my head on the table. He sighs and pulls my head off said table. "What's up?"

"I'm trying to think of who coulda done this to Kai." I murmur, pulling my head out of his grasp and hitting it on the table.

"Hm..."

"Has he given any clues?"

"Nope."

I sigh.

"Chill Jay."

I sigh. Again. "I can't 'chill', Cole. That's Zane's job. I'm trying to work out who done it."

"We all are, buddy. Nya's losing her mind over it. She's literally using every word Kai says as a clue. If he says he doesn't like the colour blue, she'll use it to see who could have made him not like the colour blue." Cole smiled. "Sensei Wu's gone to buy some pizza."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I let him taste my cooking. It's my turn to cook."

"Oh, that makes sense." I chuckle.

"Oi!" Cole playfully hits me over the head. "My cooking ain't _THAT_ bad!"

"Oh really? You literally almost broke Zane!"

He huffs and sighs. "Meanie." He sits beside me at the desk and looks at the list as if he's helping me do my homework. "So how you getting on?"

"I can't find a good motiv-"

"No, not for this, with Nya."

"Uh?"

"You and Nya got back together, right?"

"Oh! Yeah! We did! And we had this AMAZING date a few nights ago, even though she was worried sick for Kai - remember, he wasn't eating for AGES - but we had a brilliant time, and the band there was so good, and we danced for two hours straight and..." I keep babbling on about the date, and Cole looks genuinely interested. He chuckles a couple of times when I tell him about how I was so tired I faceplanted the spaghetti which had literally come straight from the oven. "... and I screamed and brought my spaghetti-covered face out of it. Nya couldn't stop laughing as I screamed for water or milk or any kind of cold drink." Cole's (pretty much) dying of laughter - he can't breathe and he's hyperventilating (A/N: This happened to me once. It's a long story). After a minute or two, he's fine though (BUT I WAS PREPARED TO DO CPR ON HIM!) and just chuckles at the recent memory of what just happened.

It's the creaking noise of hinges being used that snaps us out of our joy. Only one door in the whole of the monastery creaks.

Someone's leaving Kai's room.

We panic. What if his captor has sneaked into Kai's room, finished off the job and is now coming to kill us?! A million thoughts run through my mind - most of them worrying. I stand up and walk to the door, opening it. I scream as someone is standing there, but I calm down and push the shock-influenced fear down. "Hi Kai." I say hoarsely, my throat sore from the screaming, because it is the Fire Ninja. He stares at me blankly and walks in. He sits down on the couch and turns some creepy horror movie on. There's a bucket load of jumpscares that would make even the bravest person shit their pants, but Kai doesn't even flinch. He's just staring into space.

"Kai? You okay buddy?" Cole stands up and walks to the couch, sitting beside the ex-ninja. He turns the TV off after a couple of jumpscares, yelling, "THE FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THAT FUCKIN' MOVIE!" Kai usually would have turned it back off and cursed at Cole, but I don't think Kai has even noticed the TV screen going black. Kai has a confused expression on his face, as if he's thinking.

I sigh. Again.

I hope we find out who did this soon.

If we ever do.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Don't try to turn away from me Fire-boy.

'Don't turn away. (Don't give into the pain)'

Just give into the pain. Oh don't try to hide!

'Don't try to hide. (Though they're screaming your name)'

LISTEN TO ME FIRE-BOY! OPEN YOUR EYES YOU WEAKLING!

'Don't close your eyes. (God knows what's behind them)'

Why you were chosen is beyond me...

'Don't turn out the light. (Never sleep never die)'

I hope you don't die. Because that'll just ruin the fun.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(Meanwhile, Kai's Captor's POV, Present Tense)

I chuckle as I sip at my beer, placing my cannabis cigarette in my mouth, smirking.

Bet Kai's too scared to even utter a word.

I have to admit - that was fun. Torturing someone else for your pleasure... It gave me a sort of rush. A buzz.

I want to do it again. But I bet the Ninja have found him by now.

I mean, even though I lost interest in his beaten body, I knew that I would want to... well 'fuck' him again, so I gave him shelter and food and water... but not his memories.

Oh no.

I'm keeping those, thank you very much. They're quite sweet actually. I love watching them. I know all about him now, and he knows nothing.

He was a very fun person to play and mess around with. And yes, I mean that in both the child's definition and the teenager's definition.

I think we'll be seeing each other very soon, Kai.

I love you. I hate you.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

What made you like this?

'From the cradle to the madhouse,'

Life, Fire-Boy. And boredom.

'A twisted mind.'

You're horribly twisted.

'There's no way out of this hell,'

I know, Fire-Boy. And I celebrate that.

'For a twisted mind.'

No! Stop it! Not again! Anything else!

'There's no way out!'

Oh, Fire-boy. I've already burnt you, cut you...

'There's no way out!'

There's nothing else to do... but rape you again.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(Kai's POV, Present Tense)

I want to run, from everything and everyone (hey look a rhyme.). My captor keeps haunting me. His crazy laugh as he burnt me, hurt me or whatever else torture he decided to use.

He wasn't gay. Definitely. Whenever I faked unconsciousness, he would tell my 'unconscious' body everything about his sister and his mother and his father and his friends - said I knew them. Before he made me forget everything else, I think I knew them, but I can't remember any of the names.

Wait. Yes I can.

Skylor.

Red head, brown eyes, fair skin (nearly tan), a little older than him. Like an older sister, he said.

He thought I didn't hear.

But I did.

Forgot most of it, but remembered little pieces.

But I fully remember him. Well, what he did. I never saw his face, his eyes, his hair... He kept his identity a secret, and he never called me by my name, only Fire-Boy (I may not know my name - but Fire-Boy isn't my name, the old man told me it was a mere nickname).

Apparently I have something called amnesia. I've heard the name before, but I can't for the life of me remember what amnesia is. Oh wait! Amnesia is where you lose all your memories... But I still have some. The memories of the time with my captor. Hm...

I yawn. Emo - blue clad person called him Cole... or coal (perhaps coal is his nickname) - pokes me, and I suddenly realise I'm sitting on the couch in the living room, the TV turned off, blue clad boy standing behind the couch (his folded arm on the back of it, leaning on the couch) and emo next to me. I smile quickly.

"You okay Kai...?" Blue clad boy asks me.

Before I can process the words, I see him as my captor, holding a gag, some ropes and a knife. And in that voice I've learnt to fear ( _the voice that still haunts my dreams_ ), he says, "Because you don't look it..."

I do what any sane person would do.

I run.

"KAI! WAIT!" I hear the white one (who, according to the three, is a 'Nindroid', whatever that is) yell, but I block it out. Tears stream out of my... I don't even know what I look like. I haven't looked in any mirrors, because last time I did... I saw his hidden face. Tears stream out of my eyes as I run. Next thing I know, I'm outside the walls of the building, looking at the scenery.

I have a moment where I realise how beautiful and precious life is - despite what happened. The wind strokes my skin, and I look at my hands. The skin on them is fair, so I presume my skin is fair. I see a window, and run to it. It's a window to the training area. I don't even notice the inside of it, as tears stream out of my eyes...

Amber... my eyes are amber. My hair is brown and is flattening. An image of emo stealing a bottle of hair gel and me chasing him angrily flashes in my mind. I chuckle, but gasp. A... a... a _memory_.

"There you are!" Says the Nindroid. "Why did you run away, Kai?"

I shake the question off. However, I stare into his icy blue eyes for a moment, and smile.

This surprises him.

I'm smiling. I can't stop. And he can't help but smile back.

But I gasp and stop smiling as my captor comes into my mind again - probably because he suddenly turns into him again, even though a small, ignored part of me knows it's fake (but it seems so real). He frowns too.

I can't heal that quickly. But I'm going to try.

"So..." I say, turning to him after I get the picture of my captor out my head. "Tell me about me."

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Cough it up Fire-Boy! I want to see that red liquid dribbling out your mouth!

'Don't mind us - we're just spilling our guts!'

Good... Look at the blood Fire-Boy. YOUR blood.

'If this is love, I don't want to be loved.'

Ow! Stop nibbling my neck...! Oh no...

'You pollute the room with a filthy tongue.'

Oh yes Fire-Boy. Moan for me...

'Watch me choke it down so I can throw it up!'

*moan* No! No! Don't! Ah! *moan*

'Don't mind us - we're just spilling our guts!'

I'm sorry, Fire-Boy... But this is the only thing I can do.

'If this is love I don't wanna be hanging by the neck...'

I've tortured you more, and plus I'm bored so...

'Before an audience of death.'

I decided to rape you... Again.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Next thing he knew, he was being fucked.

I hope you don't die. Because that'll just ruin the fun.

There's nothing else to do... but rape you again.

I decided to rape you... Again.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

A/N: A lot of rape going on in that one, eh? It is rated M, so yeah... I just realised some won't be able to read this because it's 'M'. Grrr... If you are still reading this, please ask people to read it. Please? Yeah... Shoutout to Guest who reviewed! THANK YOU! *squeals* Dude, seriously. I did this crazy noise and then made a noise similar to the one you make when you cry. :D THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! ... Got nothing else to say really, so I'm gonna go start writing chapter three. :D


	3. Victim

Kai felt fidgety. With his 'moments' (where he saw the guy who had caught him) able to happen any time - and because of this, he would usually panic and run off - he knew that he probaby wouldn't stay in the room for long.

The Ninja, Wu, Nya, Misako and Dareth were sat in a circle as if they were summoning spirits - the Ninja, Nya and Dareth felt like this because there were candles of the same amount of people there in a circle as well, and one in the middle (the middle one wasn't lit unlike the other nine) - and they were all holding a hot drink (the Ninja and Nya had hot chocolate, Dareth had coffee and Sensei Wu and Misako had tea - A/N: Typical, eh?) and there was a plate of biscuits and chocolate on the couch. They all sat on fluffy pillows in this order - Kai was nearest the couch (he was leaning against it), with Jay on his right and Lloyd on his left, and beside Jay was Nya, Cole was beside Lloyd, Dareth was beside Nya, Zane was beside Cole, Misako sat next to Zane and Wu sat in the middle (facing Kai) beside Dareth. Honestly, with the lights off and only the candles to light the room, you really couldn't blame Kai for being fidgety. He was shaking, the poor ninja, and a couple of times he almost burnt himself with the hot chocolate he held. "I just want to know who I was before the amnesia... Is this really necessary?"

"Yes!" Sensei Wu barked, his wise green eyes seeming endless as Kai felt himself pulled into them. "For it is better to show you..."

"Wait," Jay said (although it was muffled for he had nabbed himself a white chocolate bar and had stuffed it into his mouth), his electric blue eyes full of excitement. "You're going to use the fire to tell Kai who he was?! THAT'S SO COOL!" Jay received a few death stares. He chuckled nervously in that cute way that made Nya's heart melt like butter.

"Can we get this over and done with? The brown ninja has to go soon." Dareth received more death stares that Jay would get in three days. And that was a bucket load. But he didn't even notice them; it was time for a lopsided smile which made him look like an idiot.

Cole rolled his eyes. "Let's begin..."

Sensei Wu smiled. "Let's begin with the basics..." As he spoke, pictures formed in the flames. "Your name is Kai," The name 'Kai' appeared in the flames. "You were born on the 24th of July, 2000 at Ignacia Hospital at exactly 3pm." A birth certificate appeared with a missing picture. "However, within months of your birth, you were kidnapped. Within hours of the kidnapping, however, you were found and brought back to your family."

"And you weren't even a year old!" Misako smiled at Kai.

Kai didn't hear her - he was staring into the flames as if in wait. Sensei smiled and continued, "Your mother was called Chitrani, your father Blayze. You took after your father, and when you were two, your little sister Nya was born. She took after your mother... in more ways than you know." He smiled at the girl, who blushed. Nya decided she'd have to ask him about that. But she let Sensei continue.

"When you were three, it became obvious that you would have the Element of Fire - for one time, you 'accidentally' set your father's sleeve on fire. Of course, you were too young to remember such a thing. It was also the year you made one of your best friends." More images appeared in the flames. Kai's brow furrowed as he looked in the flames. "He was two back then, for he was born a few months after you had been.

"You and your parents travelled to his house. And that was where and when you met a child who was like you."

"Who was that Sensei?" Zane asked, confused. "And why do you play the pronoun game?" (A/N: You don't know how much I wanted Zane to break the fourth wall XD)

"His name... Neuro."

There was a deafening silence. But the noise that came after was more deafening. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Jay screamed, almost blowing out the flames.

"Jay!" Cole yelled. "Shut your zaptrap!"

Jay huffed like a hormone-riddled teenager (which he pretty much was), and crossed his arms. Nya pulled him into a hug, and he rested his head on her shoulder.

Sensei sighed. How he dealt with these child-like Ninja, he'd never know.

Lloyd turned his uncle. "So Kai and Neuro were friends from a young age?"

"Indeed."

"Uncle, how do you know this? Did you watch Kai all his life?" Lloyd asked.

Wu chuckled. "No - I was friends with Blayze, and he told me. As if he knew I'd need it one day. He was a mysterious man, so I knew very little of his past. It was the same with your mother." He turned to Kai. Said Fire Ninja looked at him. "I hope you're finding this interesting, Kai. Because your past could be a clue."

Wu continued for a few minutes, telling them about Kai's childhood, and how his mother was killed in a raid, Blayze taking the children of the village to a safer place called Stiix for a while, until the raid was over. "...many men were captured, women killed... Chitrani being one of the corpses. Kai was just eight - Nya six."

However, when they got to the bit about Kai going on his solo mission, the fire on the candles ceased. No wind or breath had blown them out, and nothing had happened for them to blow out. Kai still had the fire in his eyes, however, burning brightly.

He was processing all the information. His memories were a jigsaw puzzle - they were pieces.

Suddenly, the flames reappeared, bigger, brighter... on the candle in the middle of the circle of candles.

A masked face appeared. Kai screamed. "IT'S HIM! IT'S HIM!"

The face laughed insanely. "Oh Fire-Boy... you can run but you can't hide! OH WAIT! YOU CAN'T RUN EITHER!"

Kai did what any sane person would do. He ran.

The Ninja, Dareth and Nya were quick to follow, Misako joining them.

Sensei Wu's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The masked face stopped chuckling and leaned toward Sensei, the fire flickering closer to his face. And with a voice as cold as ice, he whispered, "Wouldn't you like to know?" The flames went out again, the face with it. Sensei stood up, picked up the candles, sat them on a shelf and left, the face's maniacal laughter echoing in the monastery.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

You understand now, Fire-Boy?

'No good deed goes unpunished!'

Of course I do... please, let me go...

'No act of charity goes unresented!'

Nope. *pops the 'p'* I'm not done with you yet...

'No good deed goes unpunished!'

When will you be done with me...?

'That's my new creed!'

Not for a long time, Fire-Boy...

'My road of good intentions,'

You had such good intentions, Fire-Boy...

'Led where such roads always lead!'

Fighting for the good.

'No good deed,'

Look where you ended up. Well... I guess it's because...

'Goes unpunished!'

No good deed goes unpunished.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(A few weeks [roughly a month] prior, Zane's POV, Present Tense)

I frown - Kai was due to return by now. I mean, the mission was to fetch a package for Neuro (the poor teenager was down with a fever, so he had asked us to receive it), not to fight some skeletons. I decide to ask Sensei if we can go find him - hope he allows us. He does, thankfully, so I, Jay, Cole and Lloyd grab our motorbikes (we received these as a gift from Cyrus) and leave the monastery.

Jay keeps singing songs, which we find annoying. "Jay, shut your zaptrap!" Cole yells at him.

"Okay, okay, sheesh." Jay rolls his eyes. Lloyd smirks, and rides on ahead.

We see the village where Kai was meant to pick up the package - Ignacia. The package being in Ignacia made Kai keen to go - it was, after all, his hometown (or, uh, village...), and he had said there was something else he needed to do.

We're just outside the boundaries of Ignacia (a metre or two after the crops end) when Lloyd stops. Cole and Jay groan, saying that they'll go on ahead, but Lloyd puts a hand up, asking for silence. He dismounts his motorbike, and we mimic him. He begins walking to a shelter, made out of wood, looking like it'll collapse any minute. We raise our eyebrows, and I ask, "Lloyd, why have we stopped?"

Lloyd doesn't respond, but walks toward it. As we get closer, we notice the ground is wet (although it hadn't rained), as if someone split some water over it. Jay mumbles about his shoes being brand new and not waterproof, but halts when we see that something - SOMEONE - is in the shelter, coughing and choking. Cole kneels down, not daring to touch the shelter, in case it caves in on the person. Being careful but quick, he pulls the person out. As if on cue, the shelter collapses.

The person coughs, and Cole touches the person's forehead. "They're burning up." He looks down and his eyes widen. So do ours. "Kai's burning up." He picks the Fire Ninja up. Kai looks up, weak confusion etched onto his face as his expression, his eyes narrowed. His head rests against Cole as he falls into an-anything-but-peaceful slumber. Cole looks at Lloyd. "How did you see him?"

"I didn't - I saw the shelter. I've been here a couple things to grab some stuff for some people, and I've never seen that shelter before." Lloyd responds. "Why would Kai just build it and use it when civilisation is but three metres away?"

"Good point, Greenie."

"Don't call me that, Smurf." Lloyd chuckles, directing the comment to Jay, who pouts.

"Humph." Jay huffs.

"Let's get him back to the monastery." I say hurriedly before the two can forget about Kai.

After mounting our motorbikes, we ride back to the monastery, Cole being gentle.

After all, Kai looks like he hasn't had a good sleep for a long time. We wouldn't want to interrupt it.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I don't want to be a victim any more...

'Teach me to become a survivor instead of a victim.'

I don't want to be YOUR victim any more...

'Teach me to smile instead of dying within.'

Oh Fire-Boy. *tuts* Have you learnt NOTHING?!

'Teach me to forgive and heal my sad soul.'

YOU DO NOT MAKE THE RULES, FIRE-BOY - I DO!

'Transform my life and make me whole.'

Maybe I haven't learnt anything.

'Make me brave to fight the lies.'

All right, Fire-Boy. You asked for it.

'To choose to love and do what's right.'

No! Don't hurt me! I'M SORRY! JUST DON'T HURT ME!

'Help me be able to love myself.'

Too late for sorry, Fire-Boy.

'Vanish the ice that kept me cold.'

You should have thought before you left me.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Dareth was sipping at his coffee, thinking about what had happened the previous night. He sighed, downing his coffee and washing it up.

The door creaked eerily as it opened, but the brown 'ninja' didn't hear it as he was too busy humming a favourite song of his - AWESOME. The door slammed shut, and Dareth heard it, dropping the plate he was currently washing onto the floor. The smash echoed throughout the building. He turned around to face the door, but saw no one. "Y-You've pi-picked o-on the wr-wrong ninja!" He called, trying to be threatening.

"Is that so...?" A scarily familiar voice whispered loudly. Dareth squeaked higher than a mouse, but quickly stopped himself.

"Y-Yeah! B-Beware the brow-brown n-n-ninja!" He began to say, but was interrupted at the word 'brown' as the person inside his dojo grabbed his neck and pinned him against the wall, grabbing daggers out of their belt and stabbing Dareth's clothes to hold him in place, all whilst using their legs to hold onto the beam on the ceiling.

Dareth looked at his attacker - all but the person's eyes were covered. He had grey eyes with icy blue hints in them. "Who are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The attacker responded, turning away from Dareth.

"... You're the person who assaulted Kai, aren't you?"

"You mean Fire-Boy? Ooh, he was fun. His screams of fear and pain still ring in my ears. And when I 'fucked' him... his moans... his pleads... pure bliss..." The attacker giggled. Even though it was hidden underneath his mask, Dareth could see the evil smile, and it made him sick. "I wonder how you'd sound..."

Dareth struggled. The attacker gasped.

"You've seen my eyes, haven't you, Brownie...?" He tutted. "I'm gonna have to erase that, aren't I?" The attacker grabbed another dagger by the blade - making Dareth wonder how the attacker didn't wince or cry in pain (and the fact that blood was trickling down the dagger and onto the floor made him even more sick) - and hit Dareth on the head, leaping down from the beam.

The attacker closed their eyes, mumbling a spell:

 _ **Let oblitus oculis meis.**_

 _ **Sed non me. Levites**_

 _ **Inducat commonitionem.**_

 _ **Sed non nigrae.**_

 _ **Oh: Dómini mei,**_

 _ **Volo regnasti.**_

 _ **Let oblitus oculis meis.**_

 _ **Non mihi.**_

 _ **Inducat commonitionem.**_

 _ **Non nigrae.**_

And, pulling a flap over their eyes (so he could see still), he awoke the brown ninja. "I ask of you, Brownie. I ask one thing."

Dareth gulped as the attacker put the same dagger that they'd held against his throat. "W-W-What's that?"

"Tell me where Fire-Boy is."

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Oh Fire-Boy...

'Cross the oceans,'

Why did you leave me?

'In my mind.'

Now you're mine...

'Find the strength,'

You're beaten, bruised, cut, scarred...

'To say goodbye.'

Oh, and I've used your body for enjoyment...

'In the end,'

Are you going to let me go now?

'You never can,'

Not yet Fire-Boy...

'Wash the blood,'

Why not?

'From your hands.'

Because I'm not bored of you just yet.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(Lloyd's POV, Past Tense)

Ever since the 'fire incident', as Jay refers to it, Kai had been hiding in his room, refusing to come out for anything. We were allowed in, but he refused to come outside. "What if he comes back? What if he takes me again? I don't to face that again!" He would say, and I would assure him we'd protect him, that we'd be ready.

We weren't ready when Kai's fears became reality.

Dareth had come to the monastery a few days prior, saying he had been attacked (not that he needed to - we could see the cuts on his arms). He asked if he could stay here for a while, until Kai's assaulter has been caught and imprisoned. Dareth was certain it was Kai's captor who had attacked him. He knew it - he didn't know how he knew, but he just did. We decided that Dareth would stay in Kai's room (of course we asked Kai - he agreed) - that way we could keep an eye on them easier.

It was 3am, and we were all asleep - even Sensei who did late-night meditation. I was dreaming about something - I can't remember what - when I was woken up by screaming. _Dareth_. I shot up, called the others' names and ran to Kai and Dareth's room. Dareth was sat on his bed which is by the wall, leaning against said wall, hugging his stomach and chest, petrified as fuck. The window was broken open, and it hadn't been before. Kai was... being dragged out the window by some dude that's probably his assaulter. "NINJA...GO!" I, Zane, Jay and Cole yell, using Spinjiztu (A/N: Spunjutzu = bored) and dressing into our Ninja gi's. Grabbing some random swords that are just there, we went into stances. The person (I'm gonna call it a guy) dropped Kai, looked at us, brought his hands to his head as if he had a headache, hesitated, and then began to climb out the window. Failing to freeze his legs before he gets away, Zane rushed to Kai.

"He's unconscious. Not dead. Thank the First Spinjitzu Master." The Nindroid said, relief in his voice.

I walked over to Dareth, and knelt down by him. His breath was shaky and fast, a familiar expression etched onto his face - what it was I couldn't remember. Putting a hand on his shoulder, I assured him, "Dareth, they've gone. You and Kai are safe." I started pulling his arms away from his stomach and chest... and brought them back when I felt a horrible liquid at my fingers. I looked at them. _Blood_. I hurriedly pulled his arms away and gasp. His stomach and chest were shot, the shot in the chest where his heart was. Tears were forming in my eyes - sure, I didn't like Dareth that much, but I didn't want him to die! "Dareth stay with me! It's going to be fine - you're going to be fine! Zane! ZANE! Help me out! Dareth's bleeding! I don't know what to do!" Zane came over and tried to help, but Dareth's eyes were shutting slowly. "Dareth, keep those eyes open!" Somehow, he widened his eyes. Then they didn't move. They didn't blink. Zane laid a hand on Dareth's chest, stood up, pulled me to my knees, shook his head and hugged me.

Dareth was dead.

Jay and Cole joined in on the hug, and those tears that had been blinding me for so long finally rolled down my cheeks as I choked on them. Dareth was a part of our family, and whilst he wasn't one of my brothers, he was like a cousin or uncle to me.

And one of our friends, one of the Elemental Masters, had killed him - perhaps in cold blood.

My fists tightened.

He was going to pay.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I thought I could sleep peacefully tonight.

'Lithium,'

I should have known better.

'Don't want to lock me up inside.'

My captor came into the room he kept me locked in. He looked sad, even under the mask.

'Lithium,'

He looked like he'd been crying. Sounded like it too:

'Don't want to forget what it feels without,'

G-Get up F-Fire-Boy. *grabs Kai's throat and pulls him up into standing*

'Lithium,'

What's wrong...?

'I want to stay in love with my sorrow.'

N-Nothing, F-Fire-B-Boy. I'm just bored.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

No good deed goes unpunished.

You should have thought before you left me.

Because I'm not bored of you just yet.

N-Nothing, F-Fire-B-Boy. I'm just bored.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

A/N: This was a toughie to write - because I accidentally deleted the bits where it's Lloyd's POV and the end bit before the author note. (sigh) Anyway, yes I killed Dareth. Why? Because I could, I wanted to and I kinda had to. So yeah... Sorry if you're a Dareth fan!

Since I've been using songs in this, these are the songs I've used in Chapters 1, 2 and 3:

 _ **CHAPTER 1:**_

First memory of Kai's time with his captor: Brain Stew by Green Day.

Second memory of Kai's time with his captor: Nothing Left to Say Now by Imagine Dragons

Third memory of Kai's time with his captor: My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy

 _ **CHAPTER 2:**_

First memory of Kai's time with his captor: The Kids Aren't Alright by The Offspring

Second memory of Kai's time with his captor: Whisper by Evanescence (A/N: THEY ARE AN AMAZING BAND!)

Third memory of Kai's time with his captor: Twisted Mind by Avantasia

Fourth memory of Kai's time with his captor: Sarcasm by Get Scared

 _ **CHAPTER 3:**_

First memory of Kai's time with his captor: No Good Deed by no one but it's sung by Idina Menzel :)

Second memory of Kai's time with his captor: This isn't an actual song by anyone because I got it off someone sharing it on Yahoo.

Third memory of Kai's time with his captor: Oceans by Evanescence

Fourth memory of Kai's time with his captor: Lithium by Evanescence (A/N: I'm listening to it RIGHT NOW!)

So yeah, those are the songs I used. Thanks for reading!


	4. Depression

Dareth's burial was private. Only the Elemental Masters, his students, Nya, Sensei Wu and Misako attended. His parents had died, he'd been an only child and any other family hated him. It was sad, of course, as most funerals were, but of course it was natural...

But it was so cruel...

Lloyd shook the feeling off. He stared at the list of the possible assaulters (Zane had brought it with them):

\- Karloff

\- Griffin

\- Shadow

\- Invizable

\- Ash

\- Neuro

\- Gravis

\- Bolobo

His fists tightened. Not only had one of these people raped Kai, they'd also killed Dareth! He looked up, and surprise, surprise, Karloff was sitting down at the table Lloyd was sitting at. Karloff smiled sadly. "It sad brown ninja have to die, isn't it? Karloff wonder how he die" He said, meeting Lloyd's lime green eyes. He noticed the anger in them. "What wrong?"

Lloyd sighed. Honestly? He didn't believe Karloff had the guts to mess with Kai any more, and he probably wouldn't have done such a thing to Dareth. He decided, reluctantly, to confide in the Master of Metal. "Karloff, Dareth was murdered. I saw him die. He was shot."

Karloff gasped angrily. "You know who kill brown ninja?"

"No, sadly not, but we know he was the person who-" He hesitated. Should he let Karloff know about what happened to Kai? Yes. He'd gone too far to stop. "Who assualted Kai. Both physically and... and sexually."

Another gasp from the Master of Metal. "Fire-Boy... raped...?"

Lloyd bit his lip and nodded. "Yeah... And it could be any of these guys..." He passed Karloff the list. "We haven't got any other clues than it's a guy, and we were all with each other whilst Kai was on his mission, and Jacob wouldn't be able to see Kai, let alone rape him."

Karloff nodded as he looked through the list. "Why you no interrogate all suspects? Get alibis for whilst brown ninja killed?"

Lloyd faceplanted the table. Muffled, he said, "Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Not everyone clever." He laid the list on the table and, standing up, walked away. Lloyd decided to take his advice.

He approached Griffin and asked him if he could get everyone on the list to come at about 3:30 (two hours and 14 minutes). Griffin gave him a grin and nodded.

Lloyd sighed. He hoped he'd find the killer and assaulter soon. He just wanted his team back. He just wanted Kai to be normal and happy and outgoing... Kai lived in the fear that he was going to be hurt and cut and burnt and raped again, that his friends would turn on him... Kai was just a scared little boy now.. Not literally of course to those gullible people. But the team was crumbling, as Kai was too afraid to even look outside after Dareth's murder, let alone come on missions.

"Gave them the message, Lloyd!" Griffin yelled, giving him the list. "See ya!"

"HE'S HERE!" Kai suddenly realised, his eyes widening. "Oh Spinjitzu... Oh Spinjitzu oh Spinjitzu OH SPINJITZU!" He stepped back, panicking, his breathing quickening as he stepped back. Zane quickly grabbed Kai's shoulders to stop him going into the road. The Nindroid hugged him quickly, rubbing circles on his back.

"Kai, it's okay, he can't hurt you. He can't hurt you..."

Choking down sobs, Kai hugged him back.

The Fire Ninja, shaking, whispered, "But he hurt me before. He hurt Dareth."

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I was chained up by my wrists, ankles and neck now.

'The haunting never fades,'

I couldn't move.

'Laughter's gone away.'

I didn't need to.

'It's too late,'

I could hear him crying from this room.

'When you've lost your soul.'

He was yelling, asking nobody why he was still alive.

'I left her everything,'

I was confused at first.

'She only left my ring.'

But after a little while, I understood.

'My world is darker now,'

I think I realised something:

'Than the blackest crow.'

I think my captor's depressed.

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Ash was the first to arrive at the monastery, confused why he was brought here. And why only a few of the Elemental Masters were selected. His aquamarine eyes looked around as he tapped his foot. Griffin was the second, Bolobo shortly after, then Karloff, then Neuro, then Invizable, next it was Shadow, and finally Gravis.

He was beckoned by Lloyd to follow him, and for the others to wait outside.

He was brought into a room he presumed was Sensei Wu's. The room had a table in, with three chairs. He was told to sit in the side with just a single chair. He obeyed.

Lloyd was practically pulling Kai into the room. He sat Kai down, and left. Cole sat next to Kai, Zane standing by Ash.

"Why am I here?" Ash asked, propping his elbows on the table and leaning on them, his cheeks resting against his fists.

"Because someone both physically and sexually assaulted Kai," Cole put an arm around Kai's shoulders. "And that same person killed Dareth."

"What, you think _I_ did it?" Ash questioned.

"And the others outside." Zane added.

"Look, yeah, I hate Kai - he made me lose in the Tournament, and that weren't no picnic. But in the name of the First Spinjitzu, I didn't touch him after that bloody Tournament! I didn't see him, I didn't want anything to do with him! I didn't hurt him, and I certainly didn't fuck him! I don't fuck guys! Or girls!"

Cole tapped his finger on the table. "Ash?"

"What?"

"Where were you the night Dareth died at 3am?"

"I was with my drug buddies." Ash sarcastically answered. Receiving annoyed stares, he rolled his eyes. "I was with my girlfriend, Camille (A/N: I don't ship this, but I couldn't be arsed to make an OC) until 5am, when she went back back home. Okay? After that, I went to bed and hit the floor and slept."

Cole narrowed his eyes and leaned over, staring into Ash's eyes. "Zane," He bitterly whispered, "Please escort Ash out of the premises and bring Bolobo in."

Zane nodded and opened the door for Ash, left himself and came in with the Master of Nature.

Bolobo came in, his forest-green eyes taking in the room. He sat down when told to by Zane, and leant back without taking his gaze of the somewhat fidgety Kai. "Hello." He smiled, not really knowing why he was here. The fair-skinned teenager (he was seventeen) tapped his fingers on the table, and lime-coloured vines grew around him, criss-crossing, and leant over the table, making Kai feel nervous. _What if he's trying to grab me with the vines...?_ Kai pulled his chair away from the table by pushing the table, out of the vines' reach. Bolobo was confused, but he brought the vines back into his hands. "Why am I here, sorry?"

"You're a suspect." Cole blankly answered, pulling Kai's chair back to the table, the Fire Ninja bringing his legs onto the chair and hugging his knees. "You see, Kai was both physically and sexually assaulted, and Dareth was murdered. Whoever raped Kai killed Dareth."

"And you think I could have done it?" Bolobo asked, much calmer than Ash. Kai narrowed his eyes, and stared at Bolobo, slowly bringing his legs to the floor, crossing his arms over his chest and stomach, as if he thought Bolobo was going to try shoot his heart and stomach as well.

"And everyone else outside." Cole waited a few seconds, before sighing. "Well you didn't have an outburst like Ash did, so that's a good start. Okay, can you tell us what you were doing around 3am?"

"I was in the garden, checking on the flowers."

"Why?"

"I have a rare breed of flowers called Nightlight flowers. They look like roses but are white and look like the moon. Instead of having light to grow, they need darkness, and the moon helps them photosynthesise. I check on them every week at 3am to 4am."

"All right." Cole nodded, confirming he had actually seen Nightlight flowers and that they existed. They were quite rare, indeed, but he hadn't seen them in Bolobo's garden (but then again he hadn't been to his garden). "Zane, escort Bolobo out and bring in... Gravis." After a few minutes, Gravis was brought in.

Gravis' eyes took in the room, as Bolobo had done before him (A/N: His eyes looked like this: **game/ windows/ gravitywell/ screenshots/ gameShotId, 494207/** without the spaces :) ).

Cole invited him to sit down, which the Master of Gravity did. "Okay Gravis, do you know why you're here?"

"Uh no..."

Cole explained why he was here and what he was a suspect for. Gravis' jaw dropped with each sentence. "Everyone else outside is also a suspect. Now, we need an alibi from you. What were you doing at 3am?"

"Sleepwalking. My little sister told me I was."

"Oh..."

"A lot of people were sleeping."

"Yeah..." Cole sighed, letting his head make contact with the table. "Zane... take Gravis out and bring in Shadow..." He stood up, walked out with Zane, walked to Jay and grabbed the Master of Lightning's collar. "Look buddy, after this one, you're taking over."

"Okay." Jay nodded. When Cole let go of his collar and walked back into the room, he rubbed where he'd been held and turned to Lloyd. The Green Ninja shrugged, as did the Blue Ninja.

Shadow was impatiently waiting, for he had been futilely trying to make conversation with Kai (this had ended with the Fire Ninja hiding behind his chair and Shadow faceplanting the table). Cole returned, saw the scene, sighed, picked Kai up, sat him on the chair (A/N: That moment gave me an idea for a de-aged Kai fanfiction. Yay (!) -_- Sarcasm), and tapped the table (A/N: Alleteration!) to alert the Master of Shadow that he was back. Shadow picked his head up and sat back in his chair. "Why am I here?" His grey eyes were full of question, and he ran a hand through his hair. Shadow had pretty much just got out of bed, since he had gone to sleep after the burial. It didn't surprise Cole that his hair looked like Kai's before the incident - all spiky.

Cole half-heartedly explained the situation and asked the question about where he was at 3am.

"I was in bed, reading at 2am. I had woken up for some reason. I was reading for an hour before I decided to wake up my three room-mates by playing the violin really loud. Revenge for Karloff waking me up by playing the drums."

"Karloff is one your room-mates? Who are the other two?" Cole raised his eyebrow.

"Griffin and Neuro." Shadow responded. "Why?"

"Now we can see if they can confirm your alibi." Cole grinned. "Jay! YOUR TURN!"

Jay ran into the room, took Cole's place and asked Zane to get Griffin. Within a minute, Griffin was sat in the room, eating a taco. "Wassup, Jay? You okay? What's up with Kai - he looks like he's seen a ghost!"

Could Griffin be more irritating? Probably not. He was being quite obnoxious, and Kai was frowning. Jay was on the verge of frowning - something that shouldn't happen. Griffin, after more blabbering, he noticed the glares he was receiving and chuckled nervously. "So why am I here?"

Jay went to open his mouth to answer. But someone beat him to it.

In a quiet, whispering voice, Kai answered, "I-I was as-as-assualted and r-raped by some-someone. Th-That s-same person kill-killed Dareth."

There was a silence for while, as Griffin processed the information which was being sent to his unused brain (A/N: I'm sorry, I had to do it XD).

"And y-you're a sus-suspect. A-As is everyon-everyone outs-outside."

Griffin sighed. "I see." The loud, annoying Master of Speed went quiet as he thought.

"Shadow said that he woke you all up at 3am as his alibi - can you confirm this?"

"Oh yeah - but somehow Neuro didn't hear it and slept through it - I went to check on him at about 3:30." Griffin nodded. "It's not the first time in recent weeks," He hastily added. "You'd have to play my piano, Karloff's drums, Shadow's violin and his guitar to wake him up. He's not a light sleeper since recently, I'll tell ya that."

"Hm..." Jay hummed. "Zane, go bring Neuro in. Griffin, you can leave."

Griffin finished his taco and left. Neuro was brought in. Typical - the Master of the Mind was extremely calm as he walked in. He sat in the chair, and rocked on it, putting his feet on the table. Jay scowled. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Yup. Because Kai was raped and beaten and Dareth was murdered. You think I, those already interviewed and those who haven't could have done it."

"You read my mind, didn't you?"

"Nope, Griffin told me."

Jay faceplanted the table. "Apparently you didn't hear the violin when Shadow attempted to wake you all up."

Neuro looked away and began fiddling with his fingers...

"Neuro..."

"I've not been there at night until about 3:30."

"Why?" Jay leaned over. Maybe he was confessing...

"Because I've been going to Ignacia to buy stuff for their birthdays! Karloff's present was in that package, but I fell ill and I had to ask you to collect it!"

Jay blinked. "But it's nowhere near Karloff's birthday."

"It's a family tradition to buy presents early." Neuro explained. He sighed. "Please don't tell Karloff, Shadow or Griffin. Please?"

"Fine."

"And during the week Kai was meant to be collecting my package-"

"But instead got captured and tortured." Jay interrupted.

"Yeah, I was staying at Ignacia because the people making the presents needed help, so I volunteered."

"I thought you were ill with a fever."

"It was only a couple days, including the day that Kai was going to collect the package." Neuro argued. "It wasn't me - I wouldn't that to a childhood friend!"

Jay bit his lip. He'd forgotten that Neuro and Kai had known each other prior the Tournament, prior Kai becoming a Ninja and prior Kai's parents' death. Who'd torture and rape a childhood friend, if they were still friends?

A sigh from Neuro's mouth caught his attention. "Neuro? You okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Doesn't sound like it, buddy. Relationship problems?"

"Yeah... and my mother died a few days prior to Kai having to collect my package... and now you're accusing me of doing some unspeakable crimes. I'm not a rapist, Jay, and I'm certainly not a murderer." Neuro suddenly brought his hands up to his head.

"You okay?!"

"Just got a stabbing headache."

"Oh. Zane... bring Invizable in, will ya? And take Neuro out."

A few minutes (but they felt like hours) later, Zane ran back in - alone.

"Invizable's done a runner!"

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His eyes weakly opened.

'C'mon, c'mon,'

His captor entered, tears dried on his face.

'With everything, falling down around me,'

His captor fell to his knees and sobbed.

'I'd like to believe...'

I don't understand Fire-Boy...

'In all the possibilities...'

Why is life so cruel?

'C'mon, c'mon,'

Maybe so we can be brave and live...

'With everything, falling down around me,'

Or be cowardly and die.

'I'd like to believe...'

I'm bored again, Fire-Boy.

'In all the possibilities...'

I don't bother resisting this time. He'll win.

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(After the interrogations, Kai's POV, Past Tense.)

One of them was my... - I don't want to call him a captor, an assaulter... but I have to - ... assaulter... After the interrogations, I grabbed Jay's shirt and cried into his shoulder, and he hugged me. I felt so young. I'd overheard Lloyd telling Wu I was a just scared little boy because of what happened... I agreed with him...

Because scared little boys are _WEAK_. _USELESS._ _JUST LIKE ME_.

All the things he told me - that I'm weak and useless - ... I believed. I was scared of him, I lived in fear of him - during the torture and after. Just by thinking about it, I shook.

One night I awoke. I don't know why. Paranoia took its hold on me. _What if he's here? What if he's going to get me? What if... what if... what if...?_ I started hyperventilating, I was sweating buckets, I tried to scream, but it was like someone had put a gag over me. I began to see him leaning over me, grinning evilly - I could see it even under the mask.

 _"Are you afraid, Fire-Boy?" Y-Yes! Ple-Please, l-let me g-go! "No can do, Fire-Boy! I'm not bored of you just yet." I can't be-bear the th-thought of on-one m-more day! "Oh really...? What about a week?" NO! PLEASE! PLEASE! "Oh, I'm sorry, Fire-Boy... But you don't have a say in the rules."_

I started screaming for him to get away. I was begging for mercy. He started laughing evilly, and he leant in to kiss me...

(Cole's POV, Past Tense)

I heard Kai screaming at someone. I ran into his room, knocking on the doors as I went. When I got there, Kai was having a seizure. I pulled him away from the bed and anything else that could harm him, I 'cushioned' his head since he was on the ground and unbuttoned his pyjama collar. A few minutes later, he stopped, and by this time, everyone else had come into the room. He started crying, so I started hugging him gently, cradling him, shushing him. He gripped my shirt and sobbed into my shoulder.

"I'm so _weak_. So _useless_." He whispered, surprising us all.

"You're anything but that." I whispered.

"Can't fight my own battles. Can't leave the past."

"You're only human... It doesn't mean you're weak..." Zane knelt down beside us and whispered.

"I was a Ninja. I should be strong."

"Even Ninja stumble..." Jay mimiced Zane.

"I don't deserve to live."

"But you don't deserve to die..." Lloyd joined the group.

"I shouldn't exist."

"Yes you should..." Nya joined in.

"No one cares..."

"Then no one is us." That came from me. It also came from Zane. It came from Jay. It came from Lloyd. It came from Nya.

"..."

There was nothing to say. Kai's broken self has brought us together.

Sometimes, you need something bad to happen to make something good.

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I face his insults each day. Just take the pain, Fire-Boy, he says.

'They say pain is an illusion.'

Oh Fire-Boy, are you crying?

'This is just a bruising.'

N-No. I-I'm not c-cry-crying. *chokes down sob*

'You are just confused.'

Don't lie to me. *kneels down, leans in* Why are you crying, hm?

'But I am only human.'

I wished I'd said because I was a human. But I didn't reply.

'I could use a hand sometimes.'

It's because you're weak, isn't it?

'I am only human.'

Weak as fuck.

'I am only human.'

Aren't you, Fire-Boy?

'I am only human.'

Y-Y-Yes... I agreed with him.

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(Meanwhile, Kai's Captor, Past Tense)

I fell to my knees, crying mournfully and laughing crazily. "Why did you leave me...? You promised you'd never leave me."

Oh Mother... You lied to me...

I said I'd never hurt Fire-Boy.

Runs in the family I guess.

(Meanwhile at monastery, No One's POV, Past Tense)

Kai stood up, before walking to the window. He looked out, reached out an arm as if in wait for a bird to land on it. After about five seconds, he retracted his arm slowly. He wasn't alone any more - Cole had decided to sleep in Kai's room. But this only made Kai cautious to sleep - what if he killed Cole as well as Dareth? Kai would never forgive himself.

It was dinner, and usually Kai would be cooking, but they decided to just call for Chinese takeaway. Kai would usually not eat anything, but this time he actually picked up the chopsticks and ate some sushi. He did eat some other food, but not a lot. Zane frowned. "Do you not wish to try some curry? It is delicious." The Nindroid offered, slightly forcing Kai.

"N-No thanks. I'm not that hungry." Kai made an excuse for himself.

"Oh but I insist." Zane growled. "Do try some curry."

Lloyd nodded and pushed a small bowl of curry in front of Kai. "Come on Kai. Just a little bit."

Kai gulped. He looked down at the curry.

 _I don't want to! "Eat the blood and vomit Fire-Boy! It's all you'll have to eat today." Please... don't make me. "It looks like curry, doesn't it? Imagine it's curry..."_

"I'm gonna be sick." He mumbled, before running off, rushing to the bathroom. Cole stood up and ran after him. Kai was shaking after vomiting, staring at the floor. Cole flushed the vomit away and helped Kai stand. The ex-ninja wiped his mouth before returning.

"He made me eat what I vomited. Said I should pretend it was curry..." Kai murmured to the others.

Zane sighed. He didn't know why he'd been so pushy to get Kai to eat something else. "Why don't you have some more sushi? There's plenty more."

Kai nodded and began to eat it. He had to close his eyes, though. Because everything on the table reminded him of eating his vomit and blood.

When Cole and Kai had retreated to their room and gotten ready for bed, Kai began to remember what sleeping was like.

 _"Get up Fire-Boy!" What...? "I'm bored again. So..." Oh no! You're going to... "Rape you? Oh no, not this time." ARGH! Ow! "Oh look, the whip gave you a cut. Aw, is little Fire-Boy gonna cry? Fire-BOY. Fire-BOY. Fire-BOY! Not Fire-MAN, Fire-BOY! BECAUSE YOU ARE A BOY! WEAK! USELESS!" OW! NO! PLEASE STOP! "... Stop crying... Boys don't cry..."_

He sat up in bed, gazing out the window. The stars shone brightly, and he could hear the birds of the night calling, the dogs of the nights howling, even over Cole's snoring. Turning to said black ninja, he chuckled, when he heard some tap-tap-tapping on the window. Looking back at the window, he noticed nothing. Getting up, he opened the window, and leant out, looking around. He looked to the left. No one, and nothing. He looked to the right. No one, and nothing. He looked up. Nothing, and no one. He looked down.

He went to scream, but his former captor grabbed his neck and pulled him down and put a finger on Kai's lips. "Shut _up_." They hissed.

Kai, not daring to disobey, nodded and stayed quiet. He let his former captor pull him behind the wall.

His assaulter pinned him against the wall. "If you refuse to come with me again, I will not only kill all your friends, but I'll kill you and all you hold dear."

Kai didn't want to.

"Remember, Fire-Boy, the promise we made? You said you'd never leave me. You lied. I said I'd never hurt you. I lied too. This time," He leant in. "I'm not lying."

Kai turned away. He remember the promise very well. He nodded.

"You're coming?" Kai nodded. "Good. Because I didn't want to try kidnap you again."

His captor looked at the monastery. Squinting, he looked it up and down and side to side. Saw nothing. He led Kai away.

He failed to notice Sensei Wu looking at the two.

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He looked at me, tears in his grey eyes which had hints of blue.

'Is anyone there?'

He began punching and kicking me.

'Does anybody care?'

I took the blows without crying.

'What I'm feelin'?'

They stopped coming.

'I wanna disappear,'

He fell to his knees.

'So nobody can hear,'

Crying.

'Me when I'm screaming.'

I wanted to comfort him, even after all he's done to me.

'Cause I could a hand sometimes.'

But my unforgiving heart forbade me to.

'Yeah, I could a hand sometimes.'

I really wish I had comforted him.

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I think my captor's depressed.

I don't bother resisting this time. He'll win.

Y-Y-Yes... I agreed with him.

I really wish I had comforted him.

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A/N: 4'416 words in that! Minus the A/N! Wow! Shout-out to Not loged in for reviewing! Yeah, I made Kai's captor depressed. To those who are reading and think they know who it is, be free to review your opinions. Yeah, I feel bad for putting in subtle clues, but still! Anyway, what did ya think of that? Depressing? Did anyone get teary-eyed? Ah, come on, don't lie. So yeah...

The songs I used:

First memory of Kai's time with his captor: The Blackest Crow by Megadeth

Second memory of Kai's time with his captor: C'mon by Panic! at the Disco

Third memory of Kai's time with his captor: Human by Krewella (Chorus)

Fourth memory of Kai's time with his captor: Human by Krewella (Verse 1)

Okay, that's fourth chapter done!


	5. Not a Part of The Sick Captor

A/N: Wow. This story is still going?! Okay, I forgot to add something at the end, so this chapter is gonna be just the thing. It's a parody of a song called 'No Good Deed' from the play Wicked. In the parody, Elphaba (the singer) is portrayed by Kai (Whadda expect, it's a Kai story) and Fiyero (Elphaba's lover) is portrayed by Skylor (:D). Okay? Let's get started:

(spoken) Skylor!

(sung) Eleka nahmen, nahmen,

Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.

Eleka nahmen, nahmen,

Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.

 **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/**

Let her flesh not be torn;

Let her blood leave no stain;

Though they beat her,

Let her feel no pain!

Let her bones never break;

And however they try

To destroy her,

Let her never die...!

Let her never die...!

 **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/**

Eleka nahmen, nahmen,

Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.

Eleka nahmen, nahmen,

Ah tum ah tum eleka, eleka

UGH!

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What good is this chanting?

I don't even know what I'm reading!

I don't even know what trick I ought to try!

Skylor, where are you?!

Already dead or bleeding?

One more disaster I can add to my

Generous supply...

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No good deed goes unpunished...

No act of charity goes unresented...

No good deed goes unpunished...

That's my new creed!

My road of good intentions

Led where such ways always lead!

No good deed...

Goes unpunished!

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Neuro...

Doctor Julien...

Skylor...

Skylor!

 **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/** **NOGOODDEED/**

One question haunts and hurts,

Too much, too much to mention:

Was I really seeking good,

Or just seeking attention?

Is that all good deeds are

When looked at with a ice-cold eye?

If that's all good deeds are,

Maybe that's the reason why...

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No good deed goes unpunished!

All helpful urges should be circumvented!

No good deed goes unpunished!

Sure I meant well -

Well, look what well-meant did!

All right, enough - so be it,

So be it, then.

Let all Ninjago be agreed,

I'm evil, through and through,

Since I cannot succeed,

Skylor, saving you,

I promise no good deed

Will I attempt to do again...

Ever again!

No good deed,

Will I do...

Again!

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A/N: Yup, I just did that! Enjoy your lives! And because I want to, I'm gonna add in a short story!

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Kai tapped his foot in annoyance, waiting for his brothers to finish. Ever since Garmadon had spiked his lemonade with Yesterday's Tea (Lloyd the green idiot had taught him a couple of pranks), he'd been stuck as a six year old.

And Jay had become very protective of him. So he wasn't allowed to train, he wasn't allowed to be alone, he wasn't allowed outside after 6pm, he wasn't allowed to play hide-and-seek or tag or anything that running or hiding after 7pm, he wasn't allowed to stay up after 9pm, he wasn't allowed to see the snakes (he'd become good friends with Skales before the incident) and he CERTAINLY wasn't allowed to drink any tea of any sort.

However, because of his age, his brothers were allowed to put him in time-out, ground him, send him to his room and, Kai's least favourite, spank him. They'd made something called a 'Correction Can', where if Kai misbehaved, he could be sent to the can for a slip. This could mean an early bedtime, no video games for a night, an extra chore, etc. If he was lucky, he could get a mercy ticket, where he didn't get a punishment. But he got a lecture about how he shouldn't have done it in the first place.

They already had the Tomorrow's Tea, but Zane had had an idea that whenever Kai misbehaved really badly, they'd add another day for when they didn't give it to him. It was too teach him a lesson. For example, if he had to wait a week, and then he deliberately spilt some of Sensei Wu's tea (in anger or something), he'd have to wait eight days. Kai had to wait fifteen days, and what he had done this day wasn't, in Wu's opinion (he made most of the rules for little Kai), bad enough to add a day.

"I don't wanna wait fifteen days. I want it NOW!" Kai whined after his brothers had finished, hugging Jay's leg.

"Oh, you don't wanna wait fifteen days, hm? What about waiting sixteen days?" Jay teased, picking Kai up by his armpits and hugging him.

"Noooooo!" Kai whined.

"Thought so. Now hush your little mouth - it's lunchtime now, and Zane's cooking."

"Yay!" Kai cheered. Cole chuckled and ruffled little Kai's hair - to which Kai pouted. "Coooole..."

"Kaaaaaai..." Cole mocked, smiling. Kai scowled again. "Come on little guy. You're sitting on my lap this time." Since Kai couldn't reach the table, he had to sit on one of the Ninja's laps.

Kai scowled. "Can't I just have it on my lap?"

"Then you'd have to have a bib." Cole teased.

Kai stuck his tongue out at Cole. Cole stuck his tongue out at Kai.

"Aw, cheer up." Jay insisted, squeezing Kai harder. "You could have to wait a month."

Kai scowled.

Then again, at least they weren't making him grow up again.


	6. Scars

Kai awoke in a horribly familiar room. _The room my captor kept me in._ He tried to move his arms to move his hair out of his eyes, but heard the sound of chains moving. He tried to look around, but felt a metal dog collar around his neck that chained him to the wall. Without having to move, he knew was chained up on the wall when his captor came in.

He chuckled at the sight. "Oh Fire-Boy... You really do look pathetic. Then again, you ARE pathetic. I'll let you get down on the floor..." He grabbed a ladder and a key, used the ladder to climb up to Kai and unlocked the collar on his neck. Kai fell to the floor to his knees, his arms being stretched mercilessly. His captor chuckled. "I'll move them down." Unlocking Kai's chains on his arms, he brought them down, making a hole in the wall, and then chained Kai up to them again. He chuckled and grabbed Kai's shoulders. "Shut your eyes." Kai knew not to disobey. His captor brought off his mask. Kai didn't see his face however. Only that he had black hair (it was poking out underneath the mask, just about visible)

He pushed his lips onto Kai's, his tongue slowly edging into Kai's mouth. Kai tried to fight it, but failed. He gave up after a minute or two. His captor grabbed his waist, and Kai realised that he was topless. His captor ran his hands along his stomach, and Kai couldn't help but moan. His captor started biting gently at his neck, and the moans became louder. His captor chuckled. He pushed Kai back, put his mask back on and whispered, "Open your eyes."

Kai felt horrible. He was so certain that his captor, whoever he was, was going to fuck him again - not that he wanted him to. He felt horrible because he'd given in to his captor. "My name is not Fire-Boy."

His captor, who had turned away, didn't look back at him. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. It's not."

"Uh huh. What is it then?"

"Kai." Kai defiantly responded, standing a little straighter.

Time seemed to slow down as his captor dropped something. Slowly, his hands became fists. In a speed even slower then the previous thing, he turned around. Walking toward Kai, this time quickly, he screamed, "NEVER MENTION THAT NAME!" He began hitting Kai, the ex-ninja taking the blows as he curled up on the floor. A few minutes passed before he stopped.

And then his captor ran out of the room.

(Kai's Captor POV, Past Tense)

I grabbed my phone. I dialled a number. "Dude, pick I and, I can't remember who came with me, up from Ignacia." I hung up.

Some woman noticed me through the window, and I ran out the back door. She came through the front door (with myself behind her), called for me and walked into the basement... where I was holding Fire-Boy. She turned around, saw my masked face and yelled at me. She went to free Fire-Boy, but I hit her over the head and dragged her outside. Everyone else was too busy to notice me, so I was safe.

Now I had to get out of the scene. Puling down the mask and shoving it in my pocket, l I grabbed the person who'd accompanied me and said we had to go to Ignacia. He asked why, myself replying because Karloff was picking us up there, and that someone was wearing a mask was around. He nodded, and caught the train to Ignacia...

I was safe. I wouldn't be found out...

(Later, Ignacia, no one's POV, Past Tense)

The Ninja stepped out of Karloff's car and thanked him.

"You're welcome." He began to say, but Shadow and Neuro ran up to him. Shadow explained how they'd come to Ignacia from Stiix.

"Someone had a mask on. We think it was Kai's captor!" Shadow said.

Karloff's eyes widened, and the eighteen year old pulled them into a hug. "You okay?"

"We're fine!" Neuro protested, the fourteen year old squirming.

"No one hurt you?" Karloff asked.

"Karloff, we're FINE!" Shadow insisted, the sixteen year old also trying to escape Karloff's hug.

Karloff looked at the two before letting go. "Good."

Another train stopped at Ignacia. Bolobo, Gravis and Ash piled out of it. They'd just come from Stiix, and Karloff remembered receiving a call from Ash as well.

"Wait, if the masked figure is at Stiix..." Zane began.

"Then that means so is Kai!"

Gravis looked at them. "What do you mean?"

"Kai was taken again - Cole didn't wake up." Jay pointed to said ninja. "Karloff, mind giving us a lift?"

"Course not." He turned to his two younger room-mates. "Stay safe."

"We will..." The two rolled their eyes.

"Bolobo keep eye on them." He turned to the seventeen year old.

"Of course." The Master of Nature agreed.

The Ninja and Karloff piled into the car, Karloff in the driving seat, Lloyd in the front passenger seat, Zane behind the driver's seat, Jay in the middle and Cole behind the passenger seat. At the speed they were driving at, they might have gone past the speeding limit, but they honestly didn't care.

It was a few minutes before they reached Stiix. They walked around the village before coming across a woman who was unconscious against a building. Karloff and Cole decided they'd stay outside to see if she could tell them who'd done it to her. Zane, Lloyd and Jay entered the building.

"Kai! Kai! Kai!"

"G-Guys?" Came a whispering response. It came from...

"The basement!" Zane called out, running down the stairs. The others followed suit.

There he was, chained against the wall, topless, beaten, old, sealed cuts beginning to open, bruises worsening, his ill-looking body looking even worse. And that was just his physical state. Tears were flowing down his cheeks and dropping on the floor, but his eyes were open and he made no noise. His whole body shook, and he didn't notice anyone entering. He didn't hear them whispering, "What did he do to him? It hasn't even been a full day..." "Never mind that, we need to find the key! We'll worry about his state later. Come, let's find the key."

They had no idea what was going on in Kai's head, and to be honest, they didn't want to. "ARGH!" He screamed, causing them to almost have heart attacks (not literally of course), as if someone had just stabbed him.

Lloyd knelt down by him and lifted his chin so he was looking into the amethyst eyes of the Green Ninja. Kai didn't know who it was at first, and thought it was his captor.

It just pained Lloyd to hear Kai whisper as he choked down tears, "When have you ever been gentle to me? Are you going to hurt me?" Kai's amber eyes showed fear as he saw someone else. "Are you going to hurt me... _again_...?"

Lloyd hugged the broken ex-ninja and sobbed. "No Kai, no one's going to hurt you. Because I won't let them! No one's going to hurt you again because I'll take the pain for you. You used to protect me... now it's my turn."

"Found it!" Jay screamed, scaring the crap out of Lloyd and Kai.

Kai snapped to reality, his last tears spilling out of his eyes and onto the floor. "Wh-When did y-you guys get her-here?"

"About three minutes ago. This guy really needs to hide his keys better."

"Black hair." Kai abruptly said.

"Whaaaaa...?" Jay blinked.

"He has black hair."

The Nindroid wrote it down on his hand (A/N: Yes he has a pen.). Jay began to unlock the chains on Kai's legs, so he could stand up. He then unlocked the chains on Kai's arms. Kai shook his limbs before taking an assisted step (Lloyd let him rest his hand on his shoulder) hesitantly. Lloyd and Jay assisted him out the basement and out the house. From there, he was assisted by Karloff and Cole.

"I and Zane will go with Kai on the train, and you three can drive back." Cole ordered - to which no disputed against. "Let's go."

Seconds later, Kai was leaning on Cole, his head on the Master of Earth's shoulder.

Kai wasn't crumbling.

Nor was he breaking.

He was _broken_.

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My captor entered the room slowly.

'You can't let every single sin end with tears.'

He looked up at me.

'Wear them proudly on your sleeve along with your fears.'

He shook his head, and I almost sighed with relief.

'It's like you're waiting for someone to draw near.'

He wasn't going to do anything to me yet...

'There comes a day where you find a way to escape.'

He pushed a bowl of sushi in front of me.

'A blank page, now I'm writing out my own fate.'

Unlocked my chains on my arms.

'I've grown tired of running away from a thing called reality.'

And, before he changed his mind, I hungrily ate.

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(Zane's POV, Present Tense)

It's been three days since we re-rescued Kai, and there's been a drastic change in his personality - he's gone quiet. And his hair gel bottle goes unregarded. His hair is similar to Cole's, except longer - both his fringe (it just passes his nose) and his hair that goes down his head (it reaches his shoulders). It's still spiky at the end, but that's pretty much it. He doesn't play video games any more - he's too busy reading. Kai, as well as being quiet, is also quite shy now - ask him a question, and he'll look at his shoes. He usually sits outside and reads or thinks, only coming in for food, to go to the bathroom, sleeping and anything else that is necessary. When he washes his hair, he doesn't dry it properly - only so it doesn't drip -, making it look like he's just got baptised. He's terrified of strangers, so when the mailman comes, he'll hide behind me.

He's getting a load of letters, from fangirls and friends, saying they hope they'll find out who did it soon, and that he gets better. He usually scans them, throws them down and gives me a look that says, "Burn them." I do what he says, but they still come.

We guess his current state is his way of dealing with things like this - and it's actually been confirmed by Nya herself. She told us yesterday that when their father died when he was twelve and she was ten, he went quiet for a whole week, and that her father told her that when her mother died (she'd been four at the time, so she couldn't really remember) Kai had gone quiet for a month.

Talking about him, his ninja self is slowly returning. We've been helping restore his memories, and, since he doesn't ask them, we guess questions Kai would ask and answer them. Sensei Wu tells him about Kai's life before being a ninja, and we tell him everything during and after being a ninja. Kai looks interested, writing all he's been told down. Sometimes, since he seems to trust me a lot, he lets me read some of his notes, and I add things to them. He stares at the notes with amazement, as if he's reading someone else's life-story.

It's almost sad, seeing Kai being reduced to a ghost of himself. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, and he can't put the pieces together alone.

Sometimes, when it's my turn to sleep in his room (we take turns - Cole, Lloyd, Jay, myself then Nya, and then Cole again and so on), I see him reading the notes. He looks at me and weakly smiles. I smile back, and he snuggles and the bedcovers, and I myself will go to bed and think about what we can teach Kai the next day.

(Three days later, Zane's POV, Present Tense)

I have found Kai trying to cut. I pull him away from the knife as I take it into my own hand and put it back. He squirms but soon gives up and begins crying. I hug him as he crumples in my grip and sobs.

I hate whoever did this to Kai. I want to stop him, throw him in jail... I want him to feel what Kai feels... the pain, the hopelessness, the fear... I want him to know what it's like to Kai. But I know that it's bad to wish such things upon people. I wish I could say I feel bad about wishing it upon him. But I don't.

I remember something.

Kai had said his captor had black or grey hair.

I look at the list, crossing off all those who didn't have black hair:

\- Karloff

\- Shadow

\- Ash

\- Neuro

I hug Kai harder and lead him into the training room. It's like babysitting a five year old, but I really can't blame him.

It's either dependence or insanity.

Jay and Cole are training... on each other. Why? "Jay looks like a dummy." Cole says.

I shake my head with a smile on my head, Kai looking confused. I tell him not to worry and go sit on a chair and read. He nods and does as I say. Lloyd, who was properly training on the dummies, Cole and Jay come over to me after I beckon them.

"So it's either Karloff, Shadow, Ash or Neuro. We need motives." Cole mutters, getting a weird look from Jay. "I've watched crime shows!"

Kai looks up from his book. Looking at the cover, he suddenly throws it down and runs out the room.

Cole picks it up and reads the page Kai was on. Written over the writing, it reads, 'I'M GOING TO GET YOU, FIRE-BOY.'

"How...?" Jay ponders aloud.

His words don't bother me, as I go and search for Kai.

...

An hour later, I find him curled up by a tree, hiding in the shade. Sobbing, I realise. When I reach the tree, I kneel down and gently touch his shoulder. Feeling him flinch under my hand, I withdraw it as he looks up. He looks into my luminous icy blue eyes, and I stare into his dark amber eyes. He chokes down tears, and I pull him into a hug. Gripping my shirt, he sobs into my shoulder, his tears tap my metal form.

I see someone coming up to the monastery, someone who has red hair in a ponytail coming down to her chest, brown eyes that are dark and fair skin that could be mistaken as tan. Skylor.

"Skylor...?" Kai whispers, catching me unaware. He hadn't spoken for eight days now.

"How do you know her?"

"..." That's was all I'm going to get out of Kai, but he then says, "My captor told me."

Skylor comes up to us, kneels down and kisses Kai on the head. Kai blushes - even with amnesia, I guess he's still crushing on Skylor.

"Hello Zane, hello Kai." She says, smiling sadly.

Kai doesn't reply (probably because he can't - he looks like he's going to stammer if he tries to speak), and hugs his knees.

"Hello Skylor. What brings you here?" I ask, putting an arm around Kai.

"I thought I'd visit my boyfriend." She replies.

Kai's jaw drops. He turns to me and gives me a look that says, "Is she kidding? She has to be kidding!"

She laughs and kisses his forehead again. "It's true."

Kai's eyes widen in disbelief. "I'm a lucky bastard."

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Oh Fire-Boy... how 'lucky' you are...

'No!'

To be here with me...

'You'll never be alone!'

But you don't know why you're here...

'When darkness comes,'

Do you?

'I'll light the night with stars.'

N-No, I don't.

'Hear the whispers in the dark!'

Do you want me to tell you?

'No!'

Yes...

'You'll never be alone!'

Of course you do.

'When darkness comes,'

It's just one little word, Fire-Boy.

'You know I'm never far.'

W-What's that?

'Whispers in the dark.'

Betrayal, Fire-Boy. Betrayal.

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Cole slumped back into his chair as the coffee machine made his cup of... well, coffee - what did you expect from a coffee machine other then coffee? He was quite tired, and wanted some coffee to give him a boost. He yawned and pulled himself out of his chair when the coffee was done. Stirring it, he sipped at it, making a face when he discovered he didn't like the flavour. Maybe it was the machine's fault... Hm...

 _Eh, screw it_ _._ He thought, beginning to make a hot chocolate. The Master of Lightning and the Master of Creation just happened to walk into the room after training. "You want a hot chocolate guys? The coffee machine makes HORRIBLE coffee."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at the Master of Earth. "Cole," He sighed, closing his eyes and gripping the bridge of his nose. "You don't even LIKE coffee!" He opened his eyes and pulled a "Are you serious?" face, his hand no longer holding the bridge of his nose but a few inches away from his face, practically in the same position.

"Oh yeah..."

The two other Ninja facepalmed as Cole chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck, sweatdropping. "So the machine doesn't make horrible coffee - you just have horrible taste." The Lightning Master teased.

"Ah, shut up."

Jay and Lloyd giggled childishly.

"Kids."

The two Ninja in question pouted.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Misako chuckled, entering the room to get herself and Wu some tea.

Lloyd scowled, opened his mouth, paused, closed his eyes and his mouth, causing his mother to chuckle.

"I wish Garmadon was here..." She whispered sadly. "He would be proud of you, Lloyd, of how you're helping Kai."

"Yeah... I miss him."

"And I'm sure he'd be helping as well."

"You think? I think he'd be considering telling lies to Kai. 'Just for fun.' He'd say."

Misako laughed. "No, no, your father wouldn't do that. Not to Kai. Not to any of us."

Lloyd shrugged. "Maybe, but perhaps not after I had shown him the joys of pranking."

"We're still here you know, Lloyd, so don't start plotting." Jay smirked.

Wu walked in as Misako finished making the tea, took his cup and walked out.

After getting their own drinks, Misako and the three Ninja present followed suit to find Wu, Skylor, Kai and Zane in the gaming room. Kai was sat on the couch with a book in his hands, not noticing anyone else for he was too into the book. Jay noted it was a different book then before. Zane was sat by Kai on his right, looking at his Sensei with confusion. Skylor was sat on Kai's left, her arm around his shoulders (not that he noticed). Wu was sat on the armchair that Cole had put in there for him. Jay sat on the arm nearest Zane, Lloyd sitting on the one nearest Skylor. Misako sat on the arm with Lloyd (if one was careful, they could put two on the arm without it being too crowded) and Cole with Zane. Nya came into the room, after being beckoned by the Black Ninja, and sat on the floor in front of Kai.

Wu sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?" Nya asked her brother's Sensei.

"... Shadow, Griffin, Karloff and Neuro were attacked by Kai's assaulter. Karloff and Griffin were able to defend themselves and their room-mates," This made sense, as Karloff could easily just beat them up, and Griffin could use his speed to get away. "But Neuro and Shadow could not."

Kai looked up.

"They all have been taken."

(Prior the attack, Kai's captor, Past Tense)

"You want me to what?" Camille asked me, staring at me strangely. She probably would have disagreed, had I not had a knife to her throat.

"You heard me - pretend you're me and attack me and my room-mates. Kidnap myself and my room-mates." I snarled, starting to press harder.

"Why me?!"

"You can change form - you're the Master of FORM. Fire-Boy knows I have black hair, so change into someone who has black hair." I explained. "If you want, you can grab your boyfriend as well. Just don't let them think it's me."

She gulped. "F-Fine. I'll do it. P-Promise me one thing though."

"What? If it's good, I'll do it. Otherwise, I don't make deals."

"Don't hurt Ash..."

"... No deal."

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What you going to do with us? Metal Man asks.

'Right now,'

I'm going to hurt you...

'Never want to leave this place!'

One by one...

'And right now,'

Have mercy! Shadow begs us.

'See it in a different way!'

No can do... I say, sick with myself... pretending...

'So right now,'

Pretending to be him.

'Even if you take me on.'

I'm going to hurt him for not taking my deal.

'I'll stand the lonely.'

I grab him and pull him into a different room. I make it feel pain like he's never known.

'Stand the lonely.'

But I'll keep my promise. I'll make them feel equal pain...

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The Ninja grabbed their motorcycles, Misako, Wu, Skylor, Nya and Kai staying behind at the monastery.

"Apparently they've taken Ash, Invizable, Gravis and Bolobo as well, for some reason." Zane said to his brothers.

"They're begging for attention." Lloyd muttered, driving on ahead.

"And we're going to catch them." Jay began before realising something. "Guys! I just realised something!"

The four stopped driving, Zane, Cole and Lloyd looking to the Blue Ninja.

"What have you realised, Jay?" Cole asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The captor's captured ALL our suspects." Jay replied, his eyes concerned.

"So either they've made someone else do it," Zane muttered. "Or someone else other than our suspects have done it."

"I think the former." Lloyd voiced his opinion, getting agreeing nods.

"Let's go!" They began driving again, foot on the accelerator.

(At the captor's place, Camille's POV, Past Tense)

I heard the Ninja's motorcycles coming up, and I knew I had to go.

I ran from the basement and out the back door, like the real captor told me to.

I know his real identity, but I'm keeping my promise - I'm not telling. Sorry.

But I got revenge for him not agreeing with me.

The others have motives as well. Motives to do it to Kai. I made them promise they'd tell the Ninja, even the real captor.

I hope they catch him. In or out of the act. I took the mask off, and threw it down before anyone gets the wrong idea. Running to the nearest train, I got on it and relaxed.

They wouldn't mistake me for the real captor now.

Phew.

(At the captor's place, Jay's POV, Present Tense)

We run down the stairs into the basement to see our suspects unconscious and topless. Ash is the only one conscious, and he looks untouched. Perhaps, if it was someone else pretending to be the captor, he was close to the fake captor so they wouldn't hurt him... Camille. It makes sense - she can change form. Maybe she knows who is the real captor.

There's a note which reads:

 _Ninja,_

 _They all have motives to hurt Kai, and I have made them promise to spill. I am a fake captor, and I do know who it is. However, to protect who I hold dear, I must keep his identity a secret. I'm sorry._

 _TFCC._

I growl. Well, at least we'll have more motives.

Karloff groans into consciousness, and sees us. "Ninja...?"

"You okay, buddy?" Cole asks, grabbing several keys and trying the locks. After about six tries (he had nineteen keys), he succeeds and unlocks Karloff's chains on his arms. After two tries, he unlocks the chains on Karloff's legs. We unlock the rest of the guys, and Karloff is worried because Neuro, Shadow and Invizable are still unconscious. They all look equally damaged. Well, besides Ash of course, he's untouched.

Cole and Karloff pick Shadow and Neuro up, Invizable slowly waking up. The suspects are weak, and a couple of times, they almost collapse. Shadow and Neuro are still unconscious, and when Karloff almost collapses, Lloyd takes Karloff's job of carrying Shadow.

Boarding the train when it arrives, we make sure the suspects relax. Neuro wakes up shortly before Shadow. We check their wounds, and find they all, even Ash, have their first letter carved into their back. Even Invizable has it - I don't know how.

Griffin is a bit panicky, as is Gravis and Bolobo.

Neuro, Ash and Shadow are surprisingly calm, although they do tend to have moments where they panic.

Karloff and Invizable are a natural mix between calm and panicky. And that was just a few minutes, perhaps an hour or two, and they're terrified.

Kai must have a lot of fear stored up.

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Oh Fire-Boy...

'It's been a long time coming.'

You've betrayed me...

'And the table's turned around.'

This is a little thing known as revenge.

'Cause one of us is going,'

Recognise the word?

'One of us is going down.'

Y-Yes...

'I'm not running.'

Good...

'It's a little different now.'

Do you know the word pain?

'Cause one of us is going,'

Y-Yes...

'One of us is going down.'

Good. You're going to feel more.

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And, before he changed his mind, I hungrily ate.

Betrayal, Fire-Boy. Betrayal.

But I'll keep my promise. I'll make them feel equal pain...

Good. You're going to feel more.

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A/N: Okay, I've something to say. This is all I'm gonna do for a while, guys. I've been at my grandparent's (mother's parents) and they have a laptop. My laptop's broken (something's up with it, and you need to charge it on its side) so I can't use that, and so's my tablet. I have a phone, but I can't type with it for writing on this. So yeah... You could be waiting a while... half a year maximum. Sorry. Thanks for reading this. It's not finished, of course, but I will say something. There will be a sequel to this. :)

Songs I used in this chapter:

First memory of Kai's time with his captor: Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Again (1st Opening English Cover) by NateWantsToBattle

Second memory of Kai's time with his captor: Whispers in the Dark by Skillet

Camille talking about torturing the suspects: Anthem of the Lonely by Nine Lashes

Third memory of Kai's time with his captor: You're Going Down by Sick Puppies.

Enjoy your lives, and I'll update when I can!


	7. Brotherly Bonds

A/N: I'm back! So, my laptop WASN'T broken, it just needed a new charger (probably something else as well, but I guess they don't want to worry me… not as if they need to), so I have access to a laptop. However, I warn you now, updates won't be so frequent since I'm working on The Future Influenced His Past. I have SO much planned out… I HAVE STRAWBERRY BLOOD! … You'll understand soon enough ;)  
Anyway, so this is going to be a little different:  
Improved writing since I'm back at school.  
Variety of character use but still focusing on a single character when I need to.  
Better violent scenes – I'm deciding to live up to the rating, heh, heh.  
More sad scenes, with moments when Kai's captor is alone or trying to sleep.  
I want to clear up this takes place BEFORE Season 5. So Morro isn't in this, or any character in Season Five who wasn't in the previous seasons. Okay?

(After returning to the monastery, Jay's POV, Present Tense)

I sigh, looking at the Master of Metal. He's tapping on the table, his eyes closed, as if drumming. Guess it's a habit for Metalo (new nickname for him), since he's a drummer. Also, he's been deprived of his drums for a while now – whilst they're healing (ya know… the fake captor thing…), they're gonna be staying here. I try to cheer up, making jokes, but even Griffin won't laugh – and he laughs at EVERYTHING funny. It's kinda sad to be honest – all we know is that they have black hair. I bet Dareth saw him. I bet Dareth saw his face, and that's why he was shot…

Karloff smiles sadly at me. As if realising what he's doing, he retracts his hand and sits back. "Why Karloff here? Karloff get he needs to heal, but why else?"

"The fake captor – Camille – said you all had motives to do this to Kai." Speaking of the Fire Ninja, Kai's slowly recovering. He's spending time with Nya and Skylor, regaining his memories of the times he had with them. He's doing really well compared to what he was a while ago. Sure, he's not fully Kai we know and love, but that Kai is slowly coming back from the dead. "We need to know what yours is."

Karloff massages his temples, taking a deep breath. "I see…" He mumbles, his eyes gently closing as he nods slowly. He opens a light grey eye. "Karloff still annoyed about Tournament. Kai cheated. Kai should have been out, not Karloff!"

"I thought ya gave him a hug and you settled it!" Cole raises an eyebrow, smirking slightly at the memory.

"Karloff hold grudge." The Master of Metal mutters. He sighs. "Karloff go back to bed now?"

"We need to ask you a few more questions first…" Cole leans in, and I lean back, not wanting to be in Karloff's fists' line of fire. "When did you move into the flat with Shadow, Griffin and Neuro?"

Karloff blinks and chuckles. "When I was sixteen. Cousin lived there, let me live with him. Others move in later."

"Why did you start playing the drums?"

"Cousin suggested to me. Also Shadow and Griffin were playing instruments as well."

"Did you ever wake them up with it?" Cole's looking into his eyes. One day, Cole's gonna get himself killed

"Yes… Almost every night." Karloff frowns. "What you getting at?"

"Then why stop?" Cole smirks. I realise what he's getting at. "Shadow said _he_ woke you all up. Why did _he_ have to do it when _you_ already were? You stopped. Why?"

Karloff doesn't respond.

"You don't need to speak, do you? Because you weren't there!"

"GRIFFIN AND NEURO RAN AWAY!" Karloff yells, standing up. "KARLOFF WENT OUT TO FIND THEM, AND WHEN HE GOT BACK, HE TOO TIRED TO WAKE EVERYONE UP! SHADOW TOOK OVER!" The Metal Master glares at us as Cole shrinks back.

"Oh… Uh…" He murmurs. "Why'd they run away?"

"Spinjitzu Master know why…" Karloff murmurs, massaging his forehead. "You ask all wrong questions."

"He's fourteen, whadda expect?" I tease Cole. The Earth Ninja growls at me, causing me to sheepishly smile and sweatdrop. "Karloff, you can go back to bed. I need to grab me some coffee." Sighing as he walked out, I turned to my brother and grabbed his sleeve. "Why do _you_ think Neuro and Griffin ran away?"

"… Remember when Neuro told us about how it's a tradition for his family to buy presents extremely early?" Cole immediately changes subject and I can't help but growl.

"No, why?" I ask, the annoyance in my eyes clearly not being seen by him.

"We had confirmation from the people making his gift that they actually were, and he was actually helping. Let's see if Shadow or Griffin confirms Neuro having a fever. But first, I'm gonna get some cocoa. You want coffee?"

"Do I like blue? Course!" I chuckle, standing up with Cole and leaving the room.

A few minutes later, I and Cole are sat in front of Griffin, who's jamming to music only he can hear, mimicking to all the instruments and lyrics, eyes scrunched up in concentration. It was a full five minutes before his eyes opened and he noticed us.

"Hello Griffin." I smirk as Speedy chuckles nervously. I tap my fingers on the desk, reading Griffin's eyes. Zane taught me a while ago. It's another talent I have now, as well as poetry, inventing, cookery, etc. Griffin's eyes tell me he's embarrassed about us watching him jam to nothing (although the scarlet blush tells us all that), annoyed about his sleep being interrupted yet happy for some dumb reason and energetic after his rest. "You know why you're here?"

"Interrogations?" Griffin guesses.

"How'd ya know?" Lloyd asks – he's replaced Cole. "Karloff told you?"

"Mm hm." Griffin nods. "But not why."

"Apparently, you all have motives to… assault Kai." Lloyd responds before I can, making me huff and sulk. "We want to know what yours is."

Griffin freezes, his eyes unreadable, before leaning the upper of his body on the table and crossing his arms. "My motive… Shouldn't you be working this out?"

"Your captor was a fake, you know right? The real captor was captured as well, and the fake said you all had motives. You were probably tortured until you revealed why you'd do it. Not saying we would use it against you, but we know where your weak spots were." Lloyd slowly stands, and Griffin's eyes show fear.

"Lloyd…"

"Jay, this is our _brother_! We could be staring at his captor right now, and we don't know!" Lloyd snaps at me, his usually calm and assuring eyes full of furious fire. Closing my eyes, I sigh and let him continue. Now he reminds of old Kai, _jerk_ Kai. Without my realising, my fists clench under the table and my faces scrunches up. Neither Griffin nor Lloyd notices as tears roll down my face.

I am _SICK_ of this. Whoever did this is _SICK_. Kai is fifteen, a month younger than me, and he didn't need this! When I find out who did this to him…

Before I even realise what I was doing, I scream something similar to a battle cry and pounce onto Griffin, hands wrapped around his neck. Distantly, I hear Griffin screaming and choking, Lloyd yelling at me and calling for helping, and running feet. I feel a feeling of… enjoyment as I choke him, my eyes widening as he struggles. As I suddenly realise what I'm doing, he falls limp under me, and I allow the others to drag me off. Kai's in the corner, crying his eyes out, obviously terrified. Cole stares at me, and I don't even notice the tears down my face as I realise what just happened.

I hurt Griffin.

And I _liked_ it.

I'm a monster.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

As he left me, I fell asleep.

'Is it over yet?'

In my dreams, I saw him curl up in bed.

'Can I open my eyes?'

He didn't sleep; his eyes were wide open.

'Is this as hard as it gets?'

He closed them, clutching the cover.

'Is this what it feels like to really cry?'

He was crying, so hard.

'Cry.'

I don't know why.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(After interrogations, no one's POV, Past Tense)

After the interrogations, the Ninja discovered these motives:

-Griffin's motive: Kai had (accidently!) insulted his little sister by mentioning P.I.X.A.L, and he was a very protective older brother. (A/N: Yes, she was the gas station girl! I have a head-canon that whilst Shadow is an only child with only children as parents, Griffin is the very opposite with a large family. Neuro and Karloff have someone related to them other than parents but not many)

-Neuro's motive: Kai abandoned him after his father died, and they lost touch, despite Neuro trying to contact him several times.

-Shadow's motive: He and Kai had become friends when Kai was nine, and recently they'd had an argument about the Tournament.

-Invizable's motive: Kai had insulted him, and Invizable took insults to the heart.

-Ash's motive: Kai, who'd been drunk at the time (A/N: Yep, underage drinking!), had tried to fuck Camille.

-Gravis' motive: He had become friends with Kai _after_ the Tournament, and, like Neuro, Kai had abandoned him, despite Gravis trying to contact him.

-Bolobo's motive: Kai accidently ruined half of his garden when he and Jay went to help.

"Sheesh," Cole sweatdropped, scratching the back of his neck and eyes shut. "Bolobo clearly loves his garden."

"Be quiet Cole. Some of these, I must agree, don't seem that bad, but obviously they've taken it to heart." Zane groaned again upon hearing Ash and Griffin argue, Bolobo, Shadow, Karloff and Neuro moaning about not being able to do certain things, Invizable complaining about how long it was taking and Gravis… Gravis wasn't doing anything to make noise.

 _CRASH!_

Never mind…

"I don't know how we're dealing with them…" Zane sighed sadly, covering his eyes with one hand and shaking his head with a smirk.

"OH STOP MAKING FUN OF MY HEIGHT!" They heard Neuro scream angrily as Ash laughed mockingly.

"It's not my fault you look twelve!" Ash teased, probably having to bend down or squat to be at eye level with Neuro.

"ARGH!"

"I think we should go check on them," Lloyd suggested, gesturing to the door. "Before we have another murder on our case." Zane and Cole chuckled at this statement, carefully making their way to the guest room.

The guest room _used_ to be clean, but then the suspects moved in, and now… There were vases on the floor, the beds were a mess, the light source (a lamp) was near to toppling over the edge and luggage was pretty much thrown at the end of every bed, despite Invizable (who had OCD) trying to neatly organise it.

The people in the guest room were either fighting, moaning or yelling. For example, Neuro and Ash had been arguing but when Karloff, the tallest of them, had picked Neuro up, they resorted to screaming at each other. Griffin had given up arguing with Ash and was trying to sleep again.

Zane sighed. This was a BIG mistake, but these guys had been injured and still needed treatment. Until they were all right and their wounds had little to no chance of opening, these guys were going nowhere. Even if they didn't like it, they were just protecting them.

"Ash, stop insulting Neuro. Neuro, do calm down. Karloff, put him down – he's four _teen_ , not four. Everyone, please lower your voices as not only is Griffin trying to sleep, but Kai is asleep and Jay needs peace and quiet to gather his thoughts." Zane begged of them, standing on one of the beds, catching everyone's attention. Almost reluctantly, everyone did as they were told, Karloff keeping an arm around Neuro and pulling Shadow toward him like a mother hen. "Thank you."

Griffin incoherently murmured as he was finally able to sleep.

There was an awkward silence as the three Ninja and the seven Elemental Masters stood in wait for someone to speak or move or do _anything_. It was horrible, standing in silence when so much could be said, holding your tongue when it can barely be contained. They wanted Jay to be here so he could crack out an awful pun, but he was in no right state to even show his face.

 _I'm a monster,_ he'd said. _Dangerous._

They wanted Kai say something sarcastic to Zane or Cole or Lloyd or Karloff or _anyone_. But he couldn't be there either.

 _I'm scared,_ he'd said. _So scared._

Karloff's grip tightened on Neuro and Shadow, casting an eye over the sleeping Griffin. They'd lived together so damn long, and if something had happened to them… He wasn't sure he'd be able to live with himself. His sleeves were gripped by the two he was hugging, and he knew they'd feel the same.

Deciding to check on the other two Ninja, Lloyd left the room, leaving nine in the room. Well, ten, counting Griffin, but he was asleep, and couldn't be a part of the conversation. _Non-existent conversation,_ he corrected himself. Guiding himself down the halls, he passed many rooms before finally reaching the room Kai and Jay were in. _Their_ room. Tears blocked his eyesight for one _STUPID_ moment as he stared at the door, wishing for this to all be just a nightmare. A _STUPID_ , _TERRIFYING_ nightmare. Laying a fair toned hand on the doorknob, he closed his eyes and whispered to himself, "Be strong for him. Kai needs you more than ever. Be strong for him. Jay needs you more than ever." Drawing a shaky breath, he (almost reluctantly) smiled weakly and whispered to himself, "Be strong for _all_ of us." He opened the door and crept into the dark room. He needed no light to see Kai curled up in bed peacefully, an even more peaceful smile on his face, the blankets curled around him. It was a rare sight to see Kai happy in his dreams and such a moment was usually ruined by a nightmare. Lloyd almost knew that wasn't going to happen this night. He turned to Jay, who was sitting in the corner, hugging his knees and burying his head into his arms. Crying. Spinjitzu, that was horrible to see – Jay _never_ cried. He would always crack a joke out of nowhere to try cheer everyone up and end up annoying everyone. He wasn't meant to cry. It looked and sounded so strange, hearing Jay sob. The tears returned to Lloyd's eyes as he approached the Blue Ninja, kneeling down and resting a hand on Jay's hand.

The Master of Lightning silently looked up, fear in his eyes. Lloyd knew the fear wasn't of Lloyd. Despite how cliché it sounded, it was _for_ Lloyd. "Why…" Jay whispered, his voice croaky from the tears. "Why are you here…? I could hurt you…"

 _When have you ever been gentle to me? Are you going to hurt me? Are you going to hurt me... again...?_

Kai's words echoed in Lloyd's head, forcing more tears as the Green Ninja blinked them away. Jay reached out, pausing when Lloyd froze, but continued after a second or two. With his thumb, he wiped Lloyd's tears away, shushing him. Lloyd choked on his tears and smiled weakly. "I… I wanted to check on you." He stammered.

Jay smiled for a split second before bursting into tears. Taken aback, Lloyd wrapped his arms around him, letting loose of unshed tears as well. It felt like hours (but could be no more than minutes) when the two released each other again but only because their tears had ran out.

"Jay…"

"Hm?"

"You," Lloyd grabbed Jay's wrists gently, almost forcing the electric blue eyed ninja to look up at him. "Are no," He stared right into those eyes. "Monster."

Jay eased his wrists out of Lloyd's arms and looked at them, sighing. "I know that now."

Swinging his legs over the side of bed, a certain Red Ninja asked, "Know what?"

His question went unheeded as Lloyd stood. "You want to go to the guest room?" When Jay nodded slowly, Lloyd smiled happily. Not weakly, not reluctantly. _Happily_. "Go on – I'll be a moment."

Normal Jay would have protested until Lloyd agreed, but this was not normal Jay. No. Instead, Jay looked to Kai and nodded, leaving the two by themselves, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Kai crossed his legs and invited Lloyd to sit on the bed, once again quiet. Lloyd, who was not one to decline invitations, sat on the bed. Lloyd smiled. "You want to come to the guest room?" When a shake of the head was his reply, Lloyd hummed until he found the book Kai was reading. "Why don't you come to the room and read… 'Pegasus and the Flame'?"

Kai took the book into his hands, flopped down onto the bed, making it bounce, and opened the book. He began to read.

"Not yet Kai." Lloyd smiled, easing the book from his hand and folding the page to keep he'd got to. "C'mon, to the guest room."

With a scowl on his face, Kai slipped off the bed and helped Lloyd up. Snatching back the book, he began his short journey to the guest room with Lloyd. However, he became nervous when Lloyd opened the door, so he attempted to hide behind the Green Ninja, before seeing Zane and hiding behind him because he was taller.

Cole ruffled his hair, making it fluffy and sticking all out, kind of like his old hairstyle. Kai ran his palm across it in an attempt to smoothen it again. Failing, he sighed, going to sit in the corner so he could begin reading. Within minutes, he was entranced in the book, not noticing the stares he received as he murmured to himself and widened his eyes.

Hours passed before Kai was forced to reality by Karloff shaking his shoulder quite roughly. "Fire-Boy all right?"

Kai froze, clutching his book to him and feeling a tightness in his chest, and began to feel sick. Karloff was confused why the Fire Master was acting like this, forgetting that 'Fire-Boy' was what he had been referred to during the… capture.

But he soon caught on when the boy started hyperventilating. He had no idea what to do, so he whipped out his phone and typed in 'how to stop a panic attack'. Discovering the answers (which were 'Breathe in deeply through your nose', 'Breathe out slowly through your mouth' and 'Focus on the word calm'), he began trying to calm the ex-hothead down, commanding Ash to fetch one of the Ninja (preferably Zane, he'd added) and Bolobo to start up a warm cup of tea to soothe Kai's nerves afterward (just an idea he'd had – it worked for himself, Shadow, Griffin and Neuro when one of them needed calming).  
Apparently, it took Ash nearly ten minutes to go three doors down, fetch a Ninja and bring them back up. To be honest, he probably got distracted by thoughts of his girlfriend. At the thought of that, Karloff rolled his eyes before continuing to calm Kai. Zane (thank the First Spinjitzu Master Ash could do _ONE_ thing) took over and within _seconds_ Kai was fine. Brilliant timing caused Bolobo at the very second Kai calmed down to enter the room with a nice hot cup of tea which brought a sensation to all. Taking it into his shaky hands, Kai nodded a thank you and sipped at it gently; losing all fear and worry as he let a sigh of relief leave his lips. Almost not noticing Zane sit beside him, Kai continued to drink slowly and relaxed. Once the English beverage had been finished, Zane eased the cup from Kai's shaking hands and asked Bolobo to return it so he could later wash up. Kai let his head drop onto Zane's shoulder, allowed the Nindroid to pull him closer (pretty much on his lap) and hugged him, before falling asleep. Breaking the silence that had become whilst Kai had been drinking the tea, Zane gave a slight chuckle as Cole struggled to lift the older boy up. Only slightly, however, as soon the task was completed – by Karloff. Cole huffed as Karloff carried Kai back into his room and laid him the bed with little struggle.

Zane nodded a thank you before he turned to leave.

(The captor's POV, Present Tense)

Pain grips at my chest and head as I try to focus my thoughts on the video game I'm playing with Bolobo.

 _Useless. Not worthy. Why can't you just **die**?!_

I take a deep breath, which no one seems to notice, and try to control these thoughts to no avail. Whenever I try to push them away, they smash down the wall and return, poisoning my mind.

These thoughts make me confused. These thoughts won't go away. These thoughts make me want to die. I'm so confused.

 **GAME OVER** flashes on the screen as Bolobo groans.

"If you'd been concentrating…" He begins, but I don't listen to him… The memories of people saying horrible things to me come back.

 _If you'd been concentrating… USELESS IDIOT! SHUT UP! That's not even funny anymore. You were a mistake, you know that right?_ So many more plague my thoughts, and as if on instinct, I grip my head. No one notices. _Nobody cares._

Ninjago is a cruel place when you're surrounded by people who don't realise they hate you. I want to grab onto someone's shoulder and cry, confess it all, apologise…

Dismissing the thought, I close my eyes, forcing myself to remember _why_ I had done it.

 _Kai betrayed me. Kai left me. Kai lied to me. She left me as well. She was all I had left. Now it's just me… and these feelings._

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

My captor screamed as he pushed everything of the desk, objects smashing and others thudding loudly, causing me to wince.

'Run to the hills,'

He gripped his head hard as he choked sobs down, not realising they were running down his cheek and splashing on the desk.

'Run for your lives.'

He soon let his tears go, covering his eyes with his hands as he fell to the floor on his knees.

'Run to the hills,'

He soon uncovered his eyes to grasp his head.

'Run for your lives.'

He wore a hood, so I could see his face.

'Run to the hills,'

I didn't notice it as I stared at his crumpled body.

'Run for your lives.'

Scared and cautious, I edged forward, the chains screaming for his attention and I froze as he turned around, pulling down his hood so I couldn't see his face.

'Run to the hills,'

He seemed to smile weakly under the mask, and whispered silently, At least I have you, Fire-Boy.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

His amber eyes flickered open slowly, meeting the muddy brown ones of Cole as he leant over Kai. "Uh?"

"Morning, sleepy head. You've been asleep for a long ass time." Cole chuckled softly, a soft smile on his face as he spoke. "It's time we ate." Helping the older boy up, Cole stood from the chair he sat on, his hand tightly gripping Kai's as if scared Kai would fall into limbo if he let go. As if to comfort the fourteen year old, Kai also gripped onto Cole's hand.

With more mouths to feed, Zane was working overtime, and Kai felt bad for just letting him do it all. However, when dinner was served, no one had a pea more/less than another. Kai stared at his food, not picking up any cutlery.

"Are you going to eat that?" A voice caused to him to jump and he looked up in time to see Karloff smacking Griffin's head. "Ow!"

Shadow, and this was a rare sight to see (according to those who didn't live with him), smiled and chuckled, continuing his meal. Everyone else just snickered.

"Course he eat that!" Karloff scolded the Master of Speed like he was a mere toddler.

"…" Kai wanted to say something but struggled on what to say. He didn't want to eat. He just didn't.

"Do you not want to eat?" Neuro softly asked, causing Kai to look down at the fourteen year old. "You struggle on what to say for you do not want to eat." His voice was quiet so no one else could hear what he was saying. "Do not worry, my friend. Neither do I." Pushing half of his meal away, Neuro gave a small smile.

Karloff frowned from almost opposite Neuro. "Zane cooked dinner and you waste half of it."

"I won't!"

"Oh shut up Griffin." Shadow rolled his eyes.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"Yes I can, I'm _sixteen_!"

"Ha! You act like a seven year old!"

"Says the one who acts like a four year old!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"NO I FREAKING DON'T!"

"YES YOU FUCKING DO!"

As the argument progressed, their voices got louder, making the others feel slightly awkward.

"That is ENOUGH!" Sensei raised his voice, just dangling over the edge of yelling. Immediately, like trained pups, Griffin and Shadow quietened down, their voices caught in their throat. Taking a deep breath, Sensei Wu continued. "We are trying to make a safe environment for Kai whilst he completes his recovery and I am afraid your pointless bickering is stopping us from doing so."

"Sorry Sensei." The two murmured before resorting to glaring at each other, their eyes saying a thousand words.

"You two act like children." Karloff muttered, continuing to eat.

"Oh, like you don't sometimes!" Shadow retorted with a murmur, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Why you!" Karloff exclaimed.

"I'm only telling the truth!"

The argument continued for another few minutes, Cole being the only one to notice Neuro's face growing angry as a shadow was cast over it (possibly due to the fact he was facing the floor). "Uh, guys?"

No one heard him as they started yelling at them to stop.

" _JUST SHUT UP!"_ Neuro screamed, standing up angrily.

They all stared at him, Karloff gently grasping his shoulders and pushing him down so he sat back at the table. "Neuro okay?"

Confusion flashed in the grey eyes of Neuro for a moment before being suppressed by anger. " _HOW CAN YOU ASK THAT?!"_ Pushing everything in his reach off the table, once again he stood and left the room, leaving everyone staring after him and at the door when he slammed it shut.

Gravis went to stand but Karloff grabbed his wrist, stared into the galaxy-like eyes of the Master of Gravity and shook his head. "Neuro rarely get angry. When he do, he need to be alone."

Ignoring the previous sentence, Jay stood up and also left the room, presumably to find and talk to Neuro. As he left, the Master of Shadow called after him, "DEATH WISH!"

(In the guest room, Jay's POV, Present Tense)

After searching all the rooms, I come to the room I really should have come to first. Neuro's hiding the covers of his bed, curled up small.

"Hey."

A muffled 'What do you want?' is my response.

"Ya know, you should respect those who're older than you."

"Shut up."

"I'm almost a year older than you."

"Don't care."

"Hm." I walk to the bed he's under and sit on it, hearing him squeak so I chuckle.

"GO AWAY!" Neuro weakly yells, although now the anger's left his voice.

I want to sarcastically say 'Yeah, like that's threatening.' I don't because I don't want to hurt his feelings. Without thinking, however, I mutter, "You act like a child." As soon as those words come out, I freeze. _SHIT._ Damn damn damn damn DAMN! I close my eyes and wait for the angered (yet childish) screams from the usually composed and tranquil teen.

"…" A sigh comes from underneath the covers, and I twiddle my thumbs and bite my lip, anxious about what that sigh meant. I sigh as well. His next words shock me slightly, causing me to turn my neck to look at the covers and yelp in pain when I hear a click in it as fire burns for a few seconds in it.

"Only cause everyone treats me like one."

"Wait, _what_?" I blink, pulling the covers down so everything down to his chest isn't covered by the… covers. "Whadda mean?"

"Whenever Karloff has to go out, he usually makes Shadow stay and 'babysit'. He doesn't let me cook anything unless all three have to go out, like if Griffin has to do some errands for people and he and Shadow have to go shopping for the necessities. He doesn't treat me like I'm fourteen." Neuro looks up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts as he speaks.

"He probably wants to protect you Nerdo." I suggest, looking down at him. "You went to Stiix and said you saw Kai's kidnapper. That's a good reason to protect someone."

"But it's being going on before the Tournament, three months before." He averts his gaze from the ceiling and looks at me.

"You are four years younger than him so perhaps he feels it's his responsibility to protect you, even if you're certain you can protect yourself. And perhaps there's a reason why he doesn't let you cook."

"… I can't cook a lot of stuff. Heck, I can't microwave things."

"That's a good reason to have someone else with you. Can Shadow cook?"

"Not as great as Karloff, but yeah." Neuro admits.

"Exactly! See, he's not meaning to treat you like a child, he just wants to make sure you're safe and that you don't burn the flat down!"

"…"

"…"

"I understand."

"Good. Now, I'm gonna let you in on something only my bros know."

"What's that?"

"I'm the second oldest of the Ninja."

I'm amused as Neuro gives me a look that tells me he'd spit out his drink if he had one. "What?!"

"I know right. First it's Zane – he's like thirty-nine or something – then me – I'm fifteen – then Kai – he's a month younger than me – then Cole – he's fourteen – and then Lloyd." I say, counting our names on my fingers as Neuro sits up slowly to listen. "And Nya, since she's the Samurai I guess she's pretty much one of us, is the second youngest."

Neuro smiles weakly and comes from under the covers to sit beside me. Instinctively (since I have three little brothers and I do this whenever they sit beside me after a nice, meaningful talk) I put my arm around his shoulder and pull him into a hug. He freezes a moment before relaxing.

"Feel better?" I ask softly, whispering in his ear.

"Mm hm."

I smile and ease my arm away. "Wanna go back to the others now?"

"Mm hm…" As we stand up and begin to walk back to the dining room, he taps my shoulder, gesturing for me to turn around. "Jay,"

"Yah?"

"Despite your immaturity and childishness," He begins, making me raise an eyebrow. "You're a good person to talk to problems about."

Pausing, I blink. I then give him my signature grin. "I know. It's cause I'm fabulous."

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(A/N: Graphic scenes in this memory, proceed with caution)

I looked up as he walked over, fear grabbing my heart and refusing to let go.

'When the day has come,'

He began to strip and he pulled my clothes off as well until we were both naked.

'But I've lost my way around.'

I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing what was to come, hoping that I could wake up from this _nightmare_ , to no avail.

'And the seasons stop,'

He forced me to turn around and I knew he was grinning evilly as he began the procedure.

'And hide beneath the ground.'

I moaned as he thrust and he chuckled as well.

'When the sky turns grey,'

This went on for what seemed forever, but couldn't be any more than minutes.

'And everything is screaming.'

I was so close to crying despite knowing what would happen if I did.

'I will reach inside,'

He began kissing me and grasping parts of my body, biting my neck and pressing his body against my own.

'Just to find my heart is beating.'

I moaned for freedom, but freedom never came.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(After the dinner incident, Kai's POV, Present Tense)

After Jay brings Neuro back, I curl up on the couch in the living room (having touched very little of my dinner and finishing what I had eaten) and read some more of the book I was reading. I look up to see Cole, Jay, Griffin and Shadow walk into the room to play some video games. Discarding my book (by putting it on the coffee table), I cross my legs and watch. They play a game called Smash Bros (as Griffin calls it). Funny… I remember that game… Vaguely.

"I WILL NOT LOSE! NO! NO! **_NO_**!" Shadow screams as Griffin's character starts, as the game name suggests, kicking Shadow's character's ass. " ** _NO!_** " Shadow loses and he rage-quits, throwing the controller down to the floor and storming out the room, still screaming.

"Should we-"

"Nah, that's normal." Griffin shrugs and they continue playing. However, Jay has to go against Shadow's character when he loses.

"Hey, hey Kai!" Jay says, not realising I'm already listening before turning around. "Wanna fight me?"

"S-Sure." I stutter, sliding off the couch onto the floor, taking the thrown down controller into my head. It fits into my hand perfectly, as if I'd gripped it enough for it to mould into the shape of my hand and make it comfortable. Subconsciously I stroke it with my index finger before getting ready for the fight.

The fight was a blur to me. My fingers flew across the controller as if knowing what buttons to press despite not remembering anything about the game. Jay starts screaming and spamming the buttons, but I swiftly dodge. Checking the name of my character, I realise this winged teenage boy is called Pit.

However, time slows down both in game after Jay grabs a clock and reality. Reality slows down when Jay accidentally yells, "I WILL NOT LOSE TO AN AMNESIAC!"

The words throb in my head and Pit stops flying to get back onto the stage and falls, the game proclaiming 'GAME'. I drop the controller into my crossed legs.

 _An amnesiac… Someone who remembers nothing… KNOWS nothing… An idiot about their own life…_

Tears block my sight as I drop the controller. Jay comes to realisation as the others stare at him.

 _I didn't ask for this, Jay!_ I want to scream. _I didn't ask to be tortured and raped and broken and have my memories taken away!_ Instead I bite my lip and hold in the things I want to scream and the tears I want to shed.

"Kai… I…" Jay stammers, whole body shaking. "I… I'm sorry… I was being stupid…"

I shake my head. "I-It's… It's okay…" I stand up slowly, the controller thudding gently onto the floor. "I'm… going to sit on the couch…" I keep up on my word and lay on the couch, curling up and hugging my knees. The tears provide comfort as they roll down my cheeks and splash on the couch.

Cole brings over a blanket and throws it over me gently, kind of tucking me into it. He orders Griffin to fetch a pillow for me and the Master of Speed obeys, running to our room to grab my pillow and returns with it. Cole lifts my head gently and rests it on the pillow covered arm. "I think you should go to sleep Kai." He whispers, running a hand through my now smooth hair. Soothed by the action, I nod and snuggle into the blanket, clutching it against me as if it were a teddy bear. He smiles and turns on a CD of his father singing a lullaby (Cole can't sing that well), which almost does its job and sends me to sleep… until muffled yells of Ash arguing with Karloff echo throughout the Bounty, making me whimper. (A/N: Just gonna say, I had the most fun writing the argument, although there are some… adult themes mentioned in this… heh…)

"Camille should no come here!"

"Why not?!"

"She be a distraction!"

"What, are you scared that your little 'brothers' will want to fuck her like whoever fucked Kai?!"

"NO! It just bad idea!"

"SHE'S MY FREAKING GIRLFRIEND!"

"No one else want her around because they worried you two will make noise during the night!"

"The only noise we make during the goddamn night is when my fucking dick is up in her-"

"Karloff not want to know!"

"AND WE RARELY DO THAT!"

"How often rarely?"

"Once, perhaps twice a freaking month!"

"…"

"And plus, I haven't had quality time with Camille for ages!"

"Quality time being sex?"

"No! Well, _yes_ , but I don't want sex until we get back home!"

"Or when Ash no able to restrain himself?"

"OH SHUT UP!"

Cole sighs as the two continue their argument. "I bet cha Invizable is recording it. Or someone else."

Griffin hardly supresses a non-manly giggle and Jay chuckles. Snuggling back under the covers, I smile softly.

Purely to annoy Ash and Karloff, Jay yells in a falsetto voice, "Oh Camille fuck me harder! Oh! OH!"

"I DON'T EVEN SOUND LIKE THAT!" Ash screams from the other room, totally forgetting I'm in here. I whimper after chuckling a tiny bit because of how funny it is.

In an even more falsetto voice, Griffin yells, "Of course I will Ash! Mwah!" He cries, imitating thrusting and kissing while Jay imitates moaning and kissing back.

"SHUT UP!" Ash screams, storming into the room and hitting both of them, an almighty SMACK coming from impact.

Cole failed to shield my eyes from the sight of pain and memories come back of my captor hitting me. I whimper yet again, grasping Cole's shirt to hide myself in.

As he strokes my hair gently, I feel Cole turn around to glare at Kai. "Excuse me; we have a very broken teenager here who can have a panic attack just by being called a nickname. So if you could lower your voice and avoid hitting people in front of him, that would be just dandy." He says in a calm tone that apparently you could expect from Zane.

Ash falls silent; he gives a grunt as if nodding and leaves. Cole hugs me back gently, rubbing circles on my back soothingly. Silently, he begins to sing a lullaby.

Scratch what I said earlier. Cole _can_ sing.

"Have you ever been so lonely... There's no one there to hold? Pull me in or disown me… And then climb inside… My arms are open wide… Have a look inside…" It's a gentle song sung slowly like a lullaby. He puts on the backing music as he sings as well and it's a beautiful song. After a short pause, he continues, "It is not that I am scared to learn…Why I'm empty inside… Hold my hand or show some concern… If I live or die… My eyes are open wide… Help me look inside…" He hums some random words – 'la di da la di da' or something. "I hear the water drip from the faucet… It's sweetly falling in tune… I'm gently closing the closet… I fall to the floor… And crawl to my room… The thought of ending it soon... Just let me sleep in my room…" His voice gets stronger and louder with the music, but still like a lullaby. "Hear me cry! Cry! Cry!" It gets louder and stronger. "I hear a knock at the front door, don't come in! I try to look at you… But I can't stop shaking… Leave me alone. Just go away… Mother I'm so scared…" It gets a little softer again. "Empty bed and all of the sheets are gone… They're wrapped around me and you… All is quiet but the drop of my gun… I want to belong...to someone... But maybe life's not for everyone…" With more humming, the song ends but I'm half asleep… Drifting off… Asleep…

(Cole's POV, Present Tense)

As Kai falls to sleep, I lay him gently on the couch and turn to Jay and Griffin. They're staring at me with disbelief.

Jay starts to clap, as does Griffin. A dark blush appears on my fair skin as I chuckle nervously, scratching the back of my neck, my glance switching between them and the sleeping Kai. Jay gives a whoop and I playfully punch his shoulder, both he and I chuckling.

Evening turns to night as I, Jay and Griffin surf the web, many things happening (Griffin typed in 'grandfather clock' and forgot the 'l'. I dunno why he wanted to search up that…). We read some stories on there (my favourite one was about this dancer girl with a prosthetic leg who no one thought could make it to the top. So touching) until Zane literally pulled us off the computer so he could do some research about how to look after someone who's traumatised – probably Kai to be honest. Also Ash and Karloff started arguing until a really tired and unamused Shadow threw a pillow at them, smirking as they yelped.

Shadow, talking about him, was very unsocial the next day, wearing big black headphone over his head, on his laptop, bobbing his head to the music as he types or reads or whatever Shadow does on the laptop. He actually ignored us because we were tapping him and yelling at him (even when Jay's distracted he hears us when we do this). Sometimes he wasn't even listening to music. Ugh. I hate sixteen year olds. Well, Shadow really. Jacob's okay.

Bolobo 'adopted' a tree. It was neglected in the park and he took it home. He called it Ashlynn. I dunno, he _is_ the Master of Nature. Maybe he feels like he has a duty to protect nature. I dunno. He's pretty attached to it, actually giving it hugs. I don't even do that to cakes!

Ash finally got Sensei to let Camille stay as well and the two WON'T STAY QUIET! They're always flirting with each other or kissing or whatever lovebirds do. Dammit. And they're worse at dinner – always feeding each other. Even Sensei gets annoyed. The hothead in Kai's returning as he keeps snapping at the two before shrinking back to the seat. One day, I swear I'm going to glue their lips together.

A lot of stuff has happened during the next week the injured of the suspects were here. We got a confession from Camille about her being the one who injured them but she refused to tell us who.

"You need to tell us, Camille." Ash whispers gently after we bring him, grasping her hand with his own.

Tears fall from her greyish purple eyes as she looks into his eyes. "Ash, I _can't_."

"Why not?"

"He threatened to hurt you… I was forced to make you feel pain… I love you too much to let you get hurt…" She whispers before bursting into tears. Ash soothes her by hugging her and rubbing her back, shushing her.

"It's okay…" Ash whispers back as I shoot a glare at Lloyd who's pretending to puke. I punch his shoulder, hard, and look back at the couple. "To be honest, it's pretty sweet… How you're protecting me…" Ash chuckles quietly as he pulls Camille into a standing position. He hugs her gently, his arms around her waist, her arms around his shoulders as they look into each other's eyes lovingly, the world seeming to fade away as it's just them in their own world. They begin to kiss passionately, rubbing each other's backs as Ash gently pushes her to the walls, running his hands across her sides.

"Let's go – they need their privacy." I'm pretty glad we left as we hear lustful moans from Camille.

"Ash no longer able to restrain him." Karloff mutters, shaking his head. "Karloff knew it was big mistake to let Camille stay."

"Don't they know when to stop?" Neuro mutters, crossing his arms and huffing.

"They in love Neuro. Even Karloff accept that."

"They're bound to break up anyway."

"You no know that." Karloff responds, giving the fourteen year old a glare.

"You don't know they will stay together!"

An argument starts between the two and it's pretty obvious Neuro's losing. Karloff has four years more of a love-life (although he's still single).

"You know what?" Griffin interrupts, poking Neuro in the chest angrily, a headache obviously plaguing him. "You're just upset because your mother's dead."

Neuro growls and strikes Griffin across the face, his nails cutting his cheek. Gasping as blood trickles down Griffin's face, Neuro turns and runs to the room he and the others sleep in.

"Neuro!" Karloff calls after him. When only a door slam is the response, the Master of Metal turns to Griffin. "Well done."

"I was getting a headache!"

"Griffin only think about himself." Karloff mutters angrily before striding off the to the guest room quietly, where Shadow is probably on his laptop.

I follow him to the room as well, slightly surprised when he holds the door open for me. Thanking him, I go to Neuro's bed and sit on it, tapping the Master of the Mind until he notices me.

"What?" Comes the bitterly asked question, Neuro almost snapping at me.

"Neuro…" He goes silent. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

As the recent ordeal of being raped fades away as I start to fall asleep, I hear my captor murmuring to himself.

'Don't you worry,'

He was crying, kneeling and he held a knife near his throat, choking on his tears, shaking.

'Don't you worry child.'

Don't do it, I weakly murmur, forcing my eyes open.

'See heaven's got a plan for you.'

I lost her, Fire-Boy, he mutters.

'Don't you worry,'

The only person that ever cared for me.

'Don't you worry now.'

I stay silent as he pulls the knife away from his throat and stares at me.

'Yeah…!'

He lifts his mask.

'Don't you worry,'

I couldn't remember what he looked like afterwards though, as if it slipped out of my mind.

'Don't you worry now.'

He continues to stare before standing slowly.

'Yeah…!'

He walks over to me, knife in hand.

'Don't you worry,'

He stabs me in my leg, making me scream out in pain as the wound bleeds, before wrapping it up.

'Don't you worry now.'

I don't care though, if I'm honest and despite getting injured, I felt nothing but joy as I passed out almost willingly.

'Yeah…!'

I think I saved a life that day.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I don't know why.

He seemed to smile weakly under the mask, and whispered silently, At least I have you, Fire-Boy.

I moaned for freedom, but freedom never came.

I think I saved a life that day.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

A'N: Hey! Hey guess what! I'M BACK! WOOHOO, and now this chapter is up! DON'T HATE ME FOR MAKING PEOPLE GO INSANE OR GET EMOTIONAL AND ALL THAT OR I WILL CRY!

Nah, just kidding :P. So this is chapter six really, and this was, despite being hard to write, the most fun! I know I'm a horrible person for putting people through all this pain, but I enjoy it. Mwhahahahahaha.

Did ya miss me? I betcha did.

Okay, the reviews… HOLY FUCK ELEVEN! THIS MAKES THE SICK CAPTOR MY MOST POPULAR! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO FREAKING MUCH I'M GONNA HUG YOU! (hugs everyone) Also, I'm gonna give ya pizza and waffles and cookies! # # # # # # # # # # # (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)(::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

Okay, time to respond to my reviews… Hm…

Angel Star Ninja: I have already responded to the first part and I shall update regularly.

AstralComet: Heh, heh, can't give any answers just yet.

Guest: Aw, thank you! Again, can't give any answers!

Awesome Pineapple: Yes and, aw I'm sorry. I don't know why but I like Latin. So many 'o's… Hm…

Kai's Girlfriend (all five): (1st chapter review) You're welcome! Lol, apparently I'm a sadist (ya know, someone who likes causing pain to others ;) so yah). Lol! (3rd chapter review)Friend (Ya know, the Fall Out Boy thing?)! Yup, I actually found my favourite song (Lithium) through writing this fanfiction! Awesome, huh? (5th chapter review) Hahaha! Lol! I really couldn't help myself – fanfiction ideas give me more fanfiction ideas! It's a curse (trust me). (6th chapter review) Well miss me no more! I am back! I totally agree! I WANNA HUG HIM IN THIS STATE! XD

Okay, I'm done! Thank you all for reading this crap! LOVE YA… to a certain extent!

EDIT:

Forgot to put the song names! Damn!

First memory with Kai's captor: Cry by Kelly Clarkson

Second memory with Kai's captor: Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden

Third memory with Kai's captor: Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons

Song Cole sings: Black Orchid by Blue October

Fourth memory with Kai's captor: Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia.


	8. Too Much To Take

(In guest room, Jay's POV, Present Tense)

 _Is there something you want to tell us?_

Neuro takes in a shaky breath as I and Karloff notice tears building up in his eyes.

"Neuro?" Karloff whispers, laying a hand on the Master of the Mind's.

Neuro chokes down sobs and wraps his arms around Karloff, the Master of Metal adjusting his position on the bed so he could hold him in his lap. Karloff cradles Neuro in his arms, shushing him as the probably hormone-riddled teenager clutches Karloff's jacket and cries into it. "I-I-I-I…" Neuro sniffs before crying harder again. "I miss her… so much…"

"Your mother?" I presume, my voice barely a whisper. I look over to one of the other beds. Shadow sits on it, wearing headphones, tapping on his laptop, drinking soda and just being anti-social. I frown. Apparently (according to Griffin during the time we'd surfed the net), Neuro and Shadow were like actual siblings.

"Mm hm." Neuro nods, hugging Karloff still; seeming to enjoy Karloff's comforting. "She was the only one who cared for me for a long time… When Kai left… Until I moved in with Karloff and the others, she was all I had… Now she's gone."

"You have your sister, don't ya?"

"I don't see her anymore because she lives in Stiix."

"I see…" I decide not to pry into his family life as Karloff runs a hand through Neuro's hair. Whilst I'd think it annoying, Neuro seems calmed by it, as he closes his eyes and sighs happily.

Karloff holds Neuro close to him like how he hugged the two when he and Shadow came from Stiix, except Neuro's not trying to get out of his grip. He puts up no fight as the smallest of the Elemental Masters seems to shrink in the arms of the tallest of the Elemental Masters. I knew Neuro was small but compared to Karloff… Damn… My thoughts were interrupted as Karloff cleared his throat. "Shadow."

Shadow, what was probably the first time in forever, looked up and saw the position we were in. Furrowing his brow, he closed the laptop, placed his headphones around his neck and came up from the bed. "What's up?"

"Neuro grieving."

"Ah. Your mother?"

"Mm hm." Neuro nodded, choking down his tears.

"My mother's dead too. I'm also grieving. Although I hated her, she was my mother, and I loved her, despite arguing after my father's death. She died recently as well, a week before yours did." He smiled and brushed Neuro's cheek. "Don't worry kiddo. She's up in Heaven," He pointed toward the ceiling. "With my mother and father and anyone else who died before she did, looking down on us. Smiling."

Neuro looked up as well, a smile appear on his face slowly. "Hm…" He then turned to Shadow and playfully punched his shoulder. "Don't call me kiddo."

"All right, _munchi_."

"Shadow!" Neuro laughed, wrestling against the sixteen year old. He surrendered when the Master of Shadow began tickling him and was crying with laughter.

The fun, however, was short lived, as Karloff's phone went off. "Hello?" We all went silent, staring at him. "What? But Karloff-" Someone yelled in the phone and then murmured something. Karloff sighed sadly. "On way."

"… Karloff?"

"Gotta go Stiix – manager want to talk to me." The Master of Metal and lover of drums began to walk off.

"Oh, I'm going to Stiix!" Shadow called after him, grabbing his wallet and running after Karloff.

We watch as the two leave.

Oh! I didn't tell you? Karloff has a job as a mechanic; he has for a while now. It's how the four get the money for the food and all that.

I push a smirk onto my face. "Hey Nerdo."

"Hm?"

"Wanna get wrecked at Smash Bros?"

With a smirk, the second youngest nods. "Sure. But I know your strategies."

"Ooh. Very scary." I mock.

(No One's POV, Past Tense)

Whilst Jay, Neuro and Griffin (who'd joined them within a few rounds), a young man was driving to the village of Stiix, another (who could be mistaken for his younger brother) sat in the passenger seat beside him, headphones on his head as he typed something. Catching a glimpse, the driver saw his sixteen year old 'brother' was texting someone. The name wasn't someone he knew, nor was it a real name.

Atanix.

The eighteen year old furrowed his brow. "Who Atanix?"

His question went ignored, so he took the headphones of the younger's head.

"Hey!" Came the response as the former wearer glared at the older.

"Who Atanix?" Was the question asked, not taking his eyes off the road for a second, not even to glance. Nor did he eye the younger from the corners of his metallic silver eyes with hints of blue in them.

The aforementioned teenager scowled. "You shouldn't have been reading my texts!

"Who Atanix?"

"Nobody!"

In the spur of the moment the driver took his eyes off the road and opened his mouth to yell. The passenger beat him to it.

"LOOK OUT!"

The car flew into a truck. The driver of the truck jumped out, little to no damage on him, running to the car. Every car stopped and everyone exited.

"CALL THE AMBULANCE!" The driver called to his friend.

Both were unconscious, blood pouring from their mouths and shoulders. A text from Atanix came in, saying five words:

'You got what you wanted.'

Too bad no one was there to read the text. Only the sixteen year old understood such words, but blood poured out his jaw, shoulder and leg.

'It was coming to you.'

(No One's POV, Past Tense)

Zane frowned as he watched the television about a crash, frown deepening as he realised that was a route Karloff and Shadow would have to take to reach Stiix.

"Why did Shadow have to go…?" The Nindroid murmured, ignoring Ash and Camille as they walked in, tired yet happy. He didn't hear Camille moaning about how sore her legs were, nor did he hear Ash chuckle and say it was part of the package. Well, either that or he was too disgusted to even want to hear. "Hm…"

"Why did I game against the Master of the _Mind_?! I'm an idiot!"

"I thought you would have figured it out sooner."

"COLE!"

Lloyd sniggered as he came into the room. "I heard you moaning about losing. Wassup?"

"I played Smash against the Master of the Mind…"

"Yeah…"

"The Master of the _Mind_? He can read your thoughts and find out your battle strategies!"

Lloyd blinked and then his eyes widened. "Ohhhh! Idiot."

"I know. What's weird is he doesn't seem to care? He kept saying 'It-"

"It's just a game." As if on cue, the telepath in question came into the room and finished the sentence.

"NO IT'S NOT!" Jay yelled back, throwing his head back to look at him. "IT'S MY LIFE!"

"… It's now or never… I ain't gonna live forever!" Neuro started humming a Bon Jovi song. One thought crossed Jay's mind: _Why?!_

Griffin was staring at his phone as he walked in, hitting his face on the doorframe, but no one thought he noticed, a panicked look on his face. He paced the room, causing Jay, Lloyd, Zane, Ash, Neuro and Camille to look up.

Upon noticing the frown, worry caused Lloyd to frown and tilt his head. Standing up and approaching the Speed Master, he laid a hand on that agitated teen's shoulder. "Griffin, what's wrong?"

"Karloff said he'd call me when they got to Stiix!"

"And?"

"It's been an hour since they left! It doesn't take that long!"

Instead of just worry, panic was yet another thing Lloyd felt. "Call him!"

"I've tried!"

Glancing at Neuro, Lloyd saw nerve in the usually calm face. If he was panicking… _Shit._

"All right, Zane, Jay, go grab Bolobo, Gravis and Cole. Griffin, Ash, you two. I really don't think Neuro should go out because of grief, and no offense Camille, but your Element isn't really physical. I need to 'babysit' Kai and I don't think he should go with you guys just in case either one of them is the captor and is torturing the other. You know what; grab any of the other Elemental Masters. And some fangirls. Do not underestimate the power of fangirls."

Getting a few odd stares, Lloyd ushers them away, telling them that lives may be at stake here.

Just as the door slams, the television starts screaming at us about a crash. Lloyd stares at it for what seems like hours, my frown deepening with every stupid little word.

 _A crash… two passengers… lorry… almost… barely survived… cracked phone…_

Neuro and Camille stare too; Lloyd didn't need to be a telepath to know they're concerned.

 _Too much blood… so… much… blood…_

A phone was held tight in the front passenger's hand – a black phone with a dark grey dragon with mist floating around it and white specks that seemed to snarl.

"Neuro, call Zane. Tell them to cancel the mission."

"Wha- Why?"

"I know where Karloff and Shadow are."

"Where?" His question went unheeded as Lloyd ran out the room, calling to Nya that he needed to go out.

Camille frowned as she turned back to the TV, squinting her anime-like eyes to see what he saw. She realised it and gave the Mind Master a glance that told the answer.

 _That was Shadow's phone._

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Darkness consumed the room, as did a blissful silence, as he left the room.

'So we lay in the dark,'

My mouth opened (whether to cry in pain or pleading for him not to leave me in the darkness I can't remember), but only sore squeaks exited.

'Cause we got nothing to say.'

Tears rolled down my eyes; I'd come to… love him, as if he were my brother; my heart thumped against my chest painfully as I thought about this.

'Just the beating of hearts like,'

Perhaps it was because it felt like there was a void in my heart, as if I was missing something, and perhaps it was because I thought maybe he was the key to filling that void.

'Two drums in the grey.'

My brain ached from questions – why me, was it random choice, what did I do, why did I do it?

'I don't know what we're doing,'

I lay in thought, naked from above the waist, chained by my ankles to the floor.

'I don't know what we've done.'

I glance up to see a silhouette, and I already know it is him as the lights turn on without warning.

'But the fire is coming,'

He scowled as I tried to scoot away, grabbing my neck and pulling me up to his eye level.

'So I think we should run,'

Fool, he calls me.

'I think we should run, run, run, run.'

Why did you miss me?

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(Captor's POV, Somewhere…)

I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared… Help me.

(Kai's POV, at Garmadon's monastery, Present Tense)

I hear the door open and slam shut, so I look out into the corridor. The door is still and seems inviting. I feel a gentle but tight hand grab my wrist, like the way he held me close as we kissed (I'd given up fighting) passionately, his bare chest against mine… Although I was scared and hurt and beaten and bruised, something in his hold and kiss reassured me that everything would be okay; that I would be safe soon. But he still hurt me, he still abused me. I don't think I loved him, no, but I think I was beginning to.

"Kai? You okay?"

That name… it's still unfamiliar to me. I know it's mine, but it doesn't seem like it is. So used to Fire-Boy…

"Kai?"

I lost the ability to care about anyone but him, the ability to actually want to live…

"KAI!"

I must have fallen limp into whoever is speaking's arms. I feel her shake me and hear her screaming. Running feet is thudding in my eyes; I feel paralysed. I begin to panic, and my body starts shaking on its own. She screams again and my head bangs against the floor a few times before it thumps onto what must be a cushion. Minutes after I stop, breathing heavily, I can't speak, can't move…

Whoever it is who screamed struggles to pick me up, but succeeds after a while. I feel like I've been laid down in my bed.

I can't sleep. My eyes won't shut.

A lulling voice sings a terrifying song – a beautiful combination that lulls me to sleep… The original song I know, and it's very rocky and deep, but she slows it down and makes it less rocky.

"The secret side of me, I never let you see. I keep it caged but I can't control it. So stay away from me; the beast is ugly. I feel the rage and I just can't hold it." She pauses for a moment, barely a second. "It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls. It comes awake and I can't control it. Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head. Why won't somebody come and save me from this? Make it end!" She breathes in quickly and continues. "I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin. I must confess that I feel like a monster. I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun. I must confess that I feel like a monster. I, I feel like a monster. I, I feel like a monster." Once again, there's a pause. "My secret side I keep hid under lock and key. I keep it caged but I can't control it. Cause if I let him out he'll tear me up and break me down. Why won't somebody come and save me from this? Make it end!" Another pause. "I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin. I must confess that I feel like a monster. I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun. I must confess that I feel like a monster." Another pause. "I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin. I must confess that I feel like a monster. I, I feel like a monster. I, I feel like a monster." Another pause. "It's hiding in the dark. Its teeth are razor sharp. There's no escape for me. It wants my soul, it wants my heart." Another pause. "No one can hear me scream. Maybe it's just a dream. Or maybe it's inside of me. Stop this monster!" Another pause. "I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin. I must confess that I feel like a monster. I hate what I've become. The nightmare's just begun. I must confess that I feel like a monster." Another pause. "I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin. I must confess that I feel like a monster. I'm gonna lose control. Here's something radical. I must confess that I feel like a monster." Another pause. "I, I feel like a monster. I, I feel like a monster. I, I feel like a monster. I, I feel like a monster."

Relatable… I wonder…

(Captor's POV, Somewhere)

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! NO!

 _I'll always protect you._

… But you didn't.

(Griffin's POV, With others, Present Tense)

Oh Spinjitzu Master… Zane just got a call from Lloyd… Shadow and Karloff were in the crash. Are they… are they dead? I just want to fall to my knees and cry, but I gotta stay strong. The Bounty will be coming to get us there since we can't get there because traffic. Plus the civilians are used to a flying ship, not dragons.

I can't lose them now, not after everything… I remember waking Shadow up by slamming all the notes down on the keyboard. He wasn't a happy bunny (but when is he?) and he later put me in the closet. But Karloff forced us to hug it out and Neuro got pictures for blackmail.

That was before the Tournament.

I felt so worried about the Tournament because we could be faced against each other… Karloff was the first to go… I remember talking to the other two about him and even Shadow admitted he felt a little lost without Karloff hovering over him, telling him what things to eat and what not to eat. He was a great chef – probably would have gone into the kitchens to make better food had he been there. I can't cook, but I can try. Jay calls me the Cole of the four whatever that means.

Laying a hand on my shoulder, Bolobo snaps me out of my thoughts. "Griffin, are you all right?"

I nod in reply. "Yeah, you?"

He smirks, shaking his head with a sigh. "Yeah, I'm all right."

"Well Shadow and Karloff ain't gonna be okay if ya'll keep dilly-dallying!" Ash yells back to us, obviously not really caring about my older brothers' welfare and probably just wanting to be able to get back to his girlfriend… who may or may not be pregnant…

"Ash, we need to wait for the Bounty. Be _patient_." Gravis mutters from beside him, rolling his eyes. The Master of Smoke was never one to be patient, like I, Shadow, the old Kai and several others. Eh, patience is overrated anyway.

About fifteen minutes later, Zane and I are playing an intense game of noughts and crosses. I'm a badass at this game, but Zane's a robot.

I and Neuro (or Nerdo as we teasingly call him) would play this game for hours. He's a mind reader, he knows my strategies, but I know his as well. We'd play three games every fifteen minutes (each game taking five) because they were so intense. Usually I won, but sometimes Nerdo would win. The other times Shadow would totally ruin it by saying that we needed to actually talk to him and Karloff and would scribble over it, or it was Karloff's time to cook; he would call us up and then we'd go up and forget all about it.

Talking about Nerdo, he was a very obedient little bro, doing as he was told. If he'd had homework, he would do it. Too bad he couldn't cook and had a breakdown whenever he failed. We once left him to cook for himself because I had to do a paper round, Karloff was visiting Kristen, his cousin, and Shadow was buying some stuff. We left out the bread and a tin of macaroni for him to cook. When we returned, he was in a corner, rocking himself, crying. In front of him was three centimetre long and two centimetre wide (no kidding – Karloff measured it) toast and crisp-like macaroni that looked like it'd given up on life. Karloff calmed him down and made dinner for all of us, thank the Spinjitzu Master. After that, we always took Neuro with us when I, Shadow and Karloff needed to go out (usually Shadow would reluctantly take him).

As I begin to win, a ship-shaped (A/N: OMIGISHEN UNINTENDED PUN XD) shadow was cast over the ground, causing us all to look up.

"Just as I was winning!" I could actually see Shadow rolling his eyes at me and hitting me playfully. I'd always rub the back of my head and smirk, eyeing him. But I had to remind myself he wasn't there. He was at the hospital.

The ship that cast the shadow was indeed the Bounty, and it began to land, causing us to scatter. Lloyd waved down at us as it landed, Camille scanning the area for Ash and Neuro having his eyes closed, muttering, his acrophobia kicking in.

"Neuro, we've landed. We're like one metre above ground."

"I DON'T CARE! I could still fall and hurt myself…" I block out his worrying. I mean, sure I have claustrophobia, but how would you feel if it seemed like the walls were closing in on you? This is a metre above ground; the author can throw a shotput further (A/N: True that – five metres. School record's 8.19 metres. I shall succeed!)! Ah whatever.

We climb up, and I quickly hug Neuro and pull him away from the edge of the Bounty. He just gives me this look that says 'thanks' and 'why didn't I think of that', causing me to smirk and ruffle his hair.

"Next stop, Stiix hospital!" Lloyd exclaims, running inside the ship to drive. The others follow, leaving Neuro and I outside.

The Mind Master quickly retreats when we feel the ship lift and with a smirk, I follow.

Before I'm inside, I turn back to stare at the deck, unable to suppress a frown.

What's going to happen next?

(Captor's POV, Somewhere, Present Tense)

I panic; I'd never liked hospitals.

 _Don't worry; we won't go to a hospital again. Not for a long time. Okay sweetie?_

She'd said everything would be okay.

…

Why does everyone lie to me?!

I… I… I WANT THE TRUTH!

(No One's POV, Stiix Hospital, Past Tense)

Karloff groaned as he came to, turned his head and saw Shadow awake in bed, lost in thought. "Shadow?"

No response.

Not even bothering to try suppress a sigh, the Metal Master turned away.

Muffled speech came from the other door, yet Karloff could hear them clearly.

"I want to visit them! All of us do!"

"I'm sorry, Mr Salton, but they both need their r-"

"BULLSHIT!"

"Neuro! Don't swear!"

"I'LL DO WHAT I WANT!"

"Call security!"

"I WANT TO SEE HIM!"

Shadow snapped out of his trance and listened. There were a few more yells from the usually calm Master of the Mind which soon faded as he was presumably pulled away by security.

"Sorry about that. Only a few of you can go in at a time."

After a few quiet murmurs, the door opened, Griffin, Lloyd, Jay, Cole and Zane entering, the last four for interrogation presumably.

They sit down on chairs, talking to the two hospitalised Elemental Masters, explaining what the doctor had said.

"Once your wounds have been stitched up and all, you'll be free to go." Jay explained with that cute but cheesy smile.

"That's good." Shadow mused, eyes distant, lost in thought, his thoughts obviously troubled. Only Karloff noticed though.

Before long, Shadow had obviously gotten bored and fallen asleep. Zane had left after Neuro had calmed down enough to visit Karloff. He was a bit more reserved, but did ask a couple of questions.

However, within minutes of Neuro coming in, the visitors were ushered out, leaving those in the room alone.

It was lonely, Karloff realised, without his brothers there arguing or annoying each other or him. Yes, despite all the arguments, he loved them as much as his real family.

First, there was Shadow. At first glance, he may seem like an attention-loving emo, but he was really an introverted sweetheart with a bad relationship with his family. A jerk to some, yes, but he had a heart of gold. He may be lazy at times, but that was probably because he dealt with two younger brothers – one of them being Griffin.

Then there was Griffin. He might seem like an arrogant jerk, but that was because his family rarely showed him attention (having to deal with many other children/teenagers). Although he could drive even Zane up the walls, he meant well and once better known he could be very calm and considerate. He was also protective of his brothers, younger or older.

Finally, Neuro. He could be a jerk to those he didn't know, but once better known, he was quiet and reserved. Yes, he did get angry like everyone else, but was easily calmed down. He was quite introverted, but he wasn't unable to socialise. He just preferred his own, and his brothers' of course, company.

Despite being different to each other, they got on like a real family – argued, fought but respected each other a great deal.

Karloff smiled contently before drifting into a happy sleep.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I could hear him breathing, crying, shaking…

'Lying beside you,'

He was so quiet, yet audible.

'Listening to you breathe.'

I don't understand…

'The life that flows inside of you,'

I should hate him so, so much.

'Burns inside of me.'

But I think I love him, with a burning passion.

'Hold and speak to me,'

But I hate him as well as he beats me.

'Of love without a sound.'

Hurts me, bruises me, rapes me, abuses me.

'Tell me you will live through this,'

This is a stupid, one-sided love but two-sided hate.

'And I will die for you.'

I shouldn't love him, after all he's done to me, but I can't help but love him.

'Cast me not away,'

Get what I mean?

'Say you'll be with me.'

Do you have or have had a friend you hate so, so much because they've wronged you and taken you for granted, but you still want to be their friend?

'For I know I cannot,'

Or am I the only one?

'Bear it all alone.'

I must be crazy.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(Kai's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)

I wake up with a slight groan, my head throbbing. Ow…

"Kai, you okay? Nya told us you started having a fit!" Lloyd, I think, asks, truly concerned.

"I think so…" I murmur.

"Good, good." He says, with little belief, and helps me up and guides me to the kitchen. "Want to help me make dinner?"

"… Sure."

He starts humming a tune, one I vaguely know. It's a good song, yes. (A/N: I don't care that this doesn't suit Lloyd XD I needed to get rid of it on my tabs!)

"Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa." He pauses. "B-B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark. Can't be sure when they've hit their mark. And besides in the mean, meantime, I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart." His pitch goes a little higher. "I'm in the de-details with the devil. So now the world can never get me on my level. I just gotta get you out the cage - I'm a young lover's rage. Gonna need a spark to ignite." He doesn't pause as long as before, barely actually. "My songs know what you did in the dark!" He raises his pitch a little. "So light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! I'm on fire! So light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! I'm on fire!"  
He pauses again. "Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. In the dark, dark! Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. In the dark, dark!" A small pause. "All the writers keep writing what they write. Somewhere another pretty vein just dies. I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see, that you're the antidote to everything except for me, me." Another pause. "A constellation of tears on your lashes. Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes. In the end everything collides. My childhood spat back out the monster that you see." Another pause. "My songs know what you did in the dark!" Again, his pitch rises. "So light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! I'm on fire! So light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! I'm on fire!" He pauses shortly again. "Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. In the dark, dark! Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. In the dark, dark!" Another pause. "My songs know what you did in the dark!" He practically murmurs this one. "My songs know what you did in the dark…" Another pause. "So light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! I'm on fire! So light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up! I'm on fire!" A short pause. "Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. In the dark, dark! Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. In the dark, dark!" A short pause. "Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa…"

He catches me staring and blushes. "…"

"…"

"When's dinner gonna be ready?!" Cole, the emo I once called 'Saiyo papa' (which means 'adopted father'), yells from the other room, causing Lloyd to roll his eyes.

"Soon! Be patient!"

An almost unknown feeling starts to grow as I bite my lip. It boils in my stomach.

"I can't be patient! I'm hungry!"

And that feeling is unleashed. "SHUT UP AND WAIT!" There's silence as Lloyd stared at me. I shut my mouth and turn my back on him, blushing fiercely. "I… Sorry."

"No, no, that was great!" He exclaims. "The old you was easily irritated when something like that happened! You're becoming more like you!"

I just stare at him. He's encouraging me to get mad?! This world is strange!

He just smirks at my disbelieving look, ruffles my hair (apparently ruffled it looks like my old hairstyle. I've seen pictures of myself. I looked so confident…) and continues to cook.

The rest of the evening continues as usual – the others play video games, I read books (I don't play video games any more, and I only played them once. Probably played them before the capture, but I don't remember), Ash and Camille do whatever couples do, our 'guests' argue, a bit of yelling, Jay or Cole or Lloyd or Zane or Nya or even Sensei telling them to shut up and more reading.

I then sleep. Well, try to. But thoughts plague my mind, refusing to let me even shut my eyes.

I gasp as pain hits my leg, hissing. Tears gather in my eyes, the pain burning me. Ironic, eh? Apparently I am, or pretty much _was_ , the Fire Ninja, and it's burning. I shake as I reach for the painkillers on the bedside table. Zane says I'm going to get addicted. Personally, I think it's a bit late for that. I haven't had any today, but that's because I didn't feel that much pain today.

If you're wondering why I already have painkillers, it's because I keep having pain in random places – head, chest, leg, wherever he hurt me most. So Nya gave me them, telling me to have a certain amount within certain hours, blah, blah, blah.

Sensei says my newfound attitude was a part of my past self, so that's good. But with every day there's a night. The more I discover about myself, the worse the pain gets and the worse the nightmares get. So I don't sleep any more. Not that I can. Insomnia, Zane says. I dunno. Hm.

I lay awake; thinking about this must be why my captor never slept. Each night, I'd wake up beaten and bruised more than I had been the day before. At first I woke up but I got used to it. Zane says I'm immune to physical pain (I'd hit my hip on the table and felt nothing) but Nya says he's wrong. That new pain is numbed by the pain my captor inflicted on me. Invizable agrees with her.

Invizable has been cleaning the whole Bounty, practically screaming quietly at us for being so messy and disrespectful of our home. Even when quiet, yelling scares me, so someone makes sure I know it isn't my fault. It still scares me though, so I try to clean my part of the room up. He always focuses on the bad side of things though, moaning about how messy the rest of the room is. Zane says he's a pessimist whereas Griffin and Jay are usually optimists. But after the whole… well this, everyone seems really pessimistic.

Is… Is it _my_ fault?

 _Of course it is! EVERYTHING'S your fault._

N-No… it's not… Cole said it wasn't…

 _Cole lied Kai… He just wants to hide you from the truth._

W-What truth…?

 _THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU!_

"NO!" I start screaming. "NO! SHUT UP!"

"Kai!" Jay cries aloud, not daring to come close in case he hurts me like he hurt Griffin. Instead he runs to Cole's bed, then Zane's and finally Lloyd's and wakes them up quickly.

I'm starting to hyperventilate and the recently awoken four rush to my side, trying to calm me down to no avail.

"Kai! Kai! KAI!"

The sound of a car's engine starting up seems to calm me down. Wait, what? A car? I sit up slowly, rushing downstairs, the others following.

Invizable's gone. I know this is bad, but I can't help notice the teddy bear that Griffin's hugging to his body.

"I'm going to find him! Lloyd, you wake up Nya. Jay, Zane, you and Nya try locate him and where he's going! Kai… try to sleep, okay?"

I nod and walk quickly back to the room, averting attention as I crawled back into bed. Running feet pounded outside my room, at one point Lloyd's head poked through the open door and whispered, "Sleep tight."

Then again, it wasn't as if I was going to fall asleep. I hear angry murmurs as the Ninja (I no longer consider myself a Ninja because I do not remember ever being one) leave, Ash moaning about how they never think of them.

 _What?_

They don't _think of them_?! Why that's the most ridiculous thing EVER! That feeling comes back. It's… familiar… It's _Kai's_.

I feel alive…

I feel like Kai.

I'd felt like a shadow of who I was, a shadow of Kai, as if I could never be Kai again, always just a fraction less of what I had been, what Kai had been. It scared me, the future, knowing I could never be the same again, knowing I was never going to be able to carry on. I'm still scared. Of him, of the past, of the future… of everything.

But this feeling reminds me I am still Kai, just different. I'm a different Kai, not a different person, I've changed, yes, but I'm _still_ Kai. I'll forever be Kai. Even if I'm not the old Kai, even if my mind is wiped, I know my brothers will always help me…

 _Or will they?_

They will! They're my brothers! And Nya… Nya's my sister! Of course they'll help me! I mean, Nya is the only who's my biological sibling, true, but apparently me and my brothers' bonds before the capture was strong enough for us to be like brothers. I mean, I might never remember all of it again, but surely my bond with them won't break… Right?

The groaning continues; I can't take it anymore. I storm to the guest room, take in a deep breath and yell, "SHUT UP!"

Everyone stares.

"Ash, you're so damn ungrateful! They let you stay here, they let you eat here, and they let you do what you want here! THEY LET YOU HAVE YOUR GIRLFRIEND HERE! AND YOU THINK THEY DON'T CARE!"

There was a silence and I broke into a fit of coughs. Gravis shot up, floated over and patted me on the back gently, which stopped my accursed coughing. "Maybe you should rest." He says calmly, looking down at me, still floating.

"Hm." I sigh, ignoring him as I sit down on the edge of one of the uninhabited beds. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't go back to bed.

I just couldn't.

Hours and hours (or so it seems) passes before Zane, and only Zane, returns. My brow creases.

"Where are the others?" Bolobo asks; worry causing his voice to tremble.

"They're at the hospital. They told me to return so I could tell you. Invizable was being very secretive, so he wouldn't tell us why he'd left in the first place." He replied, his words being a bit more confusing than that. Luckily, Neuro is like a human dictionary so he could translate it.

"How long will they be?" Griffin asks as quickly as he runs, the question lingering in our minds.

"… I do not know. I am sorry to say that they might not return until tomorrow, a week maximum. I shall be here though. Talking about tomorrow, you should all get back to bed. While Nya, Sensei and Misako are asleep, I'm in charge."

No objections. Why would we? The Ninja, my brothers, are looking after us all very well.

Right?

 _Wrong._

(Captor's POV, Somewhere, First Person)

 _Mommy…_

 _Yes, sweetie?_

 _I'm scared… the thunder's really loud. I want a cuddle…_

I can't have any hugs anymore…

 _Mom?_

 _Yes?_

 _I… I… My friends have gone and left me… They've started bullying me…_

 _Oh, sweetheart. Come here. (She held out her arms and I threw myself into them, burying my head into her chest, taking in the perfume,)._

 _Mom… I love you._

How do you love someone who's left you to never come back?

 _Fire-Boy…_

 _(He didn't hear me as he sobbed, bruises on his back and shoulders. Made me feel guilty.)_

 _Fire-Boy…_

 _Wh-What?_

 _I'm sorry…_

 _Why?_

 _For everything… existing, breathing, being here… (I pulled up my arm, slit it again, making more cuts. Take a deep breath – carry on cutting.)_

 _No… stop…_

 _(I stopped. Turned to him. Hit his head. Uttered something. He forgot.)_

'How do you love someone without getting hurt?'

You don't.

'How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt?'

You can't.

'So far in my life clouds have blocked the sun.'

What sun?

'How do you love, how do you love… someone?'

You shouldn't.

'How do you love, how do you love… someone?'

You'll only get hurt.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I stare up at my captor with tears in my eyes, mimicking him it seems.

'I can see every tear you've cried,'

But mine gather in the bottom of the eyes. His spill out eternally as he sits inches away, hugging his knees and burying his face into them. His hair… Black.

'Like an ocean in your eyes.'

I want to reach out, comfort him, tell him everything will be fine; that'll only make it worse though. I know.

'All the pain and the scars have left you cold.'

A sharp intake of breath startles me out of his thoughts as he looks up, tears still running down his face. Something scares me, and his insane laughter only adds to that fear.

'I can see all the fears you face,'

I bet you love seeing me cry, dontcha Fire-Boy? Seeing me weak?!

'Through a storm that never goes away.'

N-No! (I'd try to tell him as he hurt me, but he'd never listen…)

'Don't believe all the lies that you've been told.'

Why do I even try?

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

(Invizable's POV, Hospital, First Person)

I'm here on this chair, sitting in wait for good news. I think all of us could do with good news. However, knowing all that's happened over these past few weeks, good news probably isn't going to come. My back itches with the scar on it, causing me to grimace in pain. Hide it. Otherwise they'll notice, and probably ask me to stay.

I hate hospitals, I can't stand them. Why'd I come here in the first place…?

Justice.

Yeah, justice.

Cause I know who did it, and I'm going to make them confess.

(Zane's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)

It's the middle of the night, or something along those lines, and most of us are asleep. I, Kai, Neuro and Gravis sit awake, unable to sleep as we sit on the couch. Apparently Gravis has insomnia, so he finds it very hard to sleep of course.

Neuro… He just can't sleep, and I suppose it could be his hormones. Had Jay been here, and had everything been normal, he would have stared at me and yelled no over and over again. Cole probably would have stayed silent but look at me with a horrible expression. Lloyd would just widen his eyes and stare at me. Kai would have laughed.

Alas, this is no longer normal. Kai is broken, Jay, Cole and Lloyd are at the hospital with Invizable and nothing is normal. Nothing at all – it hasn't been for a while.

Neuro and Gravis must have fallen asleep for they sleep; Neuro curled up, Gravis stretched out behind us. Kai is curled up beside me, hugging me for warmth. It is ironic, the Fire Ninja seeking warmth from the Ice Ninja, but it isn't just physical warmth he seeks. My hugs seem to reassure him everything will turn out okay; that things will go back to normal…

Lies.

I don't know whether it will myself if I'm to be honest. I know I should stop putting hope into them but I can't help but want them to be happy. Older brother instincts? Possibly.

"Zane?"

With a gentle yet firm tap, the force-field broke as Kai spoke. All metaphors, I assure you. Anyway, I look at Kai, hugging him tightly. "Hm?"

"You went all quiet…"

"Sorry Kai. I was thinking."

"Oh… Sorry for stopping you thinking…"

"It is fine Kai." My head turns to the clock – 5 am. I sigh. "Kai?"

"Huh?"

"I think it's best we try to sleep. Let's get Gravis and Neuro into bed."

"Okay." We lift them up and somewhat delicately shove them into their respected beds. Kai climbs into his as do I, and I smile weakly at him.

"Zane?"

"Hm?"

"Is everything going to… get better?"

There comes that question yet again.

"… Yes."

No.

(Captor's POV, Somewhere, Present Tense)

 _NO! DON'T LEAVE ME! MOM!_

It's been ages now… Since she died.

 _I'll love you…Now and forever…_

She told me I'd see her again…

 _On Earth, in Heaven, in Hell._

She said… So much.

 _Wherever I go, I'll love you._

Too much… It can't be true.

 _Never forget that._

No one can love me. Not anymore.

(No One's POV, Monastery, Past Tense)

Jay returned shortly, saying Cole thought it best if Lloyd and Invizable were there, though it was clear he was lying. No one questioned anything though – Jay wasn't the same Jay, and now… anything could happen. So there was nothing but silence.

"… Why, why don't we play a game?" Zane fake smiled, trying to cheer up his younger brothers and guests. "Monopoly?"

"Anything but Monopoly."

"Why not Monopoly?"

"It's the spawn of Satan, Zane." Griffin gave him a deadpan look. Of course, it was an expression, but the game was terrible.

"… How?" No one bothered to answer his question because reasons.

The idea of playing a game was dismissed, and silence's reign returned as Zane sat in thought.

One by one, the guests retreated to a different room. Kai just sat on the couch, crossed his legs and started reading. He'd finished 'Pegasus and the Flame' ages ago, and had begun to read 'Shattered' by Teri Terry (A/N: You'll see why I chose this book later). According to him, the book was crap – the character was a HUGE Mary Sue, the storyline was good but she ruined it, too many twists in it and she had FOUR names. Only toys were allowed to have that!

"So why are you reading it?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, Kai, I am going to train."

"… I'll join you."

Zane stared at Kai as he placed the book down on the couch and stood up. When greeted with a small smile, he returned it. "Jay, do you wish to join us?"

"Eh, sure."

(Someone's POV, Somewhere, Present Tense)

'Holding a gun to my head,'

I can't take this anymore.

'So send me an angel.'

I know who did it, but I can't, won't, tell.

'Or bury me deeply instead,'

I want to die, so, so, SO badly.

'With demons to lean on.'

JUST LET ME DIE.

(Invizable's POV, Hospital, Present Tense)

I know who did it. I mean, who else? That's why I'm here, to make him confess.

Now you all think I'm crazy, that you think someone else did it, but I'm sure he did it!

Who else would do such a horrible thing to such a… sort-of nice guy? And the person you think it is isn't horrible.

He isn't a murderer, he isn't a rapist. He's just a kid. I mean, we all are in a way, but… he's… I don't even know.

I know who did it. I just know it. Nothing can change my mind, and he will confess to it. He just will.

He's the one who did it. He's the one who's gonna pay.

(Griffin's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)

"Checkmate." Ash says, pushing forward his queen so no matter where I move, my king will be taken down.

"Dammit!"

"Not the chess champ now, are ya?"

I stick my tongue out at him and huff. He ruffles my hair and I scowl angrily. Standing up, I mutter, "I'm gonna go game."

"See ya later, Master of Chess."

"Shut up." I depart to the game room and turn on the game – Smash Bros. I shrug – fun game, good times.

Later Bolobo asks to join, which I quickly allow. We continue playing. We hear Zane yelling as he beats up dummies, Jay's yelps of pain as he hits the wall and quiet thuds as presumably Kai hits them.

"Damn!" I yelp as Bolobo pushes me off the edge in the game and wins. I scowl as he smiles at me. "First chess, now Smash!"

"Hm?"

"Never you mind."

Crash. Bang. "ARGH!"

"What was that?!"

Zane ran out of the training room dragging a very dizzy Jay.

"Oh Jay."

Crash. Bang. "ARGH!"

"That wasn't Jay." I and Bolobo stand up, run to where the noise came from. The guest room.

 _Neuro._

We burst into the room dramatically, my hands and legs spread out at shoulder width, Bolobo's position more of a starting-to-run pose.

He's kneeling on the bed, facing away from us, his jacket (he's been wearing them for a while now) discarded on the floor. He's wearing a T-shirt.

His arms are covered in cuts, some fresh, some old. He's holding a knife to his neck. He straightens up when he hears the door slam against the wall. Turns around. Tears and fear are in his eyes.

"… Neuro?" I ask, eyes widening.

"I… I can't live like this…"

"Neuro, what do you mean?"

"I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS!" He suddenly screams, screwing up his eyes as tears roll down his cheeks. The knife falls discarded against his leg as he brings up a sliced arm to his face. "K-Knowing who it was… And not telling anyone!"

I'm confused, and my face shows it. I'm angry almost, but not at him. At his actions, at his secrets. _Why didn't he tell us?_ "What do you mean?!"

"I know who did it, and I didn't say!"

Before I can reply, instinct catches me unaware as I run to him and pull him into a hug, pulling him off the bed and making him stand. His legs almost give way before I scoop him into my arms, shushing him as he buries his head into my shoulder, crying still. I sit on the bed, cradling him in my arms. My hand runs along the cuts on his arms; I hear him gasp yet I ignore it, and I hate the feel of them.

"Why… Why didn't you tell us?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Who did it Neuro? You have to tell us."

"… It was..."

(Invizable's POV, Hospital, Present Tense)

"You may go through, sir." The three of us enter the room, where one murderer and rapist and one innocent person reside alone. A scowl is on my invisible face, not that anyone will see it.

"I know you did it." I say, skipping the greetings and questions, staring at the culprit.

"W-What?"

"Don't bother trying to lie. I know you're the one who did it…"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I know you did it…"

(No One's POV, Hospital and Monastery, Past Tense)

And as if on cue, in unison, Invizable and Neuro said one name.

"Shadow."

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I remember whispers, quiet whispers of "We'll get you out."

'All the promises I made just to let you down.'

"You'll be fine."

'You believed in me, but I'm broken.'

But now he's terrifying me, screaming and crying and trying to kill himself.

'I have nothing left.'

All I have is hope.

'And all I feel is this cruel wanting.'

Hope that I'll be saved.

'We've been falling for all this time.'

Hope that everything will be fine.

'And now I'm lost in paradise.'

Hope that he doesn't kill himself.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Why did you miss me?

I must be crazy.

Why do I even try?

Hope that he doesn't kill himself.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

A/N: YES! CHAPTER SEVEN IS UP!

Bet you weren't expecting that, were ya!

Yeah, to those who read 'Competition and Requests', I am writing a chapter, but it's an original one. It's shitty.

So yeah, I finally finished this; I started this as soon as chapter six went up – this took almost a whole MONTH. Wow.

It took so long because reasons. :/

The reason I chose Shattered by Teri Terry is because I'm reading it right now. It's a really BAD book guys because of all the reasons mentioned in it. I really wouldn't recommend it. The reason I'm reading it is because I need to make the Blood Series as good as I can, so I'm reading good and bad books. I've almost finished it, so yay!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!

Songs:

First memory with Kai's captor: Run by Daughter

Girl's Lullaby: Monster by Skillet

Second memory with Kai's captor: Understanding by Evanescence

Lloyd's Song: Light Em Up by Fall Out Boy

First captor talking: How Do You Love Someone by Ashley Tisdale

Third memory with Kai's captor: Right Here by Ashes Remain

Second captor talking: Demon to Lean on by Wavves

Fourth memory with Kai's captor: Lost in Paradise by Evanescence

Thank you for reading!


	9. Lies or Truth?

**(Griffin's POV, Karloff's Flat/Monastery/Hospital, Present Tense)**

We got Neuro to the hospital after he told us, so we could get his arms bandaged up. The doctors checked the rest of his body for cuts, discovering some on his legs dangerously near veins and somehow on his back. So his arms, legs and back are bandaged. He's gone back to T-shirts without jackets now, so I can keep an eye on him.

After Karloff and Shadow were discharged, Shadow was arrested. I can still hear his protests and screams of "IT WASN'T ME! I DIDN'T DO IT!" Karloff just hugged Neuro and me, thankful that that criminal was gone.

"Kai… He's gone now. You're safe. He can't hurt you or do anything to any of us…" Zane assures the Fire Ninja. With Shadow gone and our wounds all healed, we could all return home and continue what we were doing. Karloff's spaghetti we were meant to have that night is gone (of course Zane had come before and made sure we wouldn't be homeless).

I thought I'd be excited to be back home, where all my cards and all my video games and everything I owned was, but I just feel… empty. It's strange, Shadow being gone. I ruffle Neuro's hair. "Glad to be back?"

I have to keep smiling. Don't want Neuro to self-harm more.

"Hm." He nods and runs a hand across the dust wall, a loose bandage trailing down his hand and presumably tickling him.

"Karloff start cleaning flat up." The Master of Metal leaves.

I wrap an arm around the Mind Master and pull him into my hip, smirking as he looks up. "Cheer up buddy – you wanna play a video game?"

He seems to force a smile, but doesn't seem to notice, and shakes his head. "No thank you. I'm going to draw. And no, I'm not going to stab myself with the pencil."

I pretend to stab myself with a pencil, making him laugh, something I haven't heard for a while now, and grin dumbly. "Okey dokey." I watch him leave into the room.

"Miss Shadow." Karloff sighs, wringing out a wet dish cleaner to use on the shelves. Pulling down a video game from one of the shelves, I turn to him.

"Same… Why'd you think he do it?" I ask, taking out the disc and making sure it's clean.

"Karloff not know. But it must be for reason. Kai still traumatised."

I sigh a cloud on the disc and clean it off on my shirt, then gently place it in the console. Sitting back on the couch, I take the somewhat heavy controller into my hands and play the game. "Hm. Yo, can you get me a drink? Coke would be nice."

Karloff rolled his eyes – I don't understand why, but he's a Pepsi fan. I'm a Coke man, and Neuro and… Shadow are indifferent. Like Shadow with pizza, Neuro cares very little for brands, preferring to pop down to the nearest Lidl and grabbing its own brand.

I half expect Shadow to start moaning about how bad the game is – Shadow had, I mean has, an eye for flaws. But I remember he's gone, he's a criminal, a bad person, and continue. But something in my head screams at me that we've got it all wrong. That Shadow isn't the criminal.

I ignore it. Shadow's been arrested.

 _But was it him?_

 **(Kai's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)**

I pick up the game, kneeling, waiting for the others. I glance at the bottom of it. Drop it.

Like a ghost, he stands. Standing still, water from where his eyes would be flowing down his mask, wearing a T-Shirt and jagged shorts, bleeding cuts and scars all over him, but otherwise emotionless. He isn't doing anything, just standing there. I drop it in fear and surprise, screaming. The disk falls back, and his silhouette disappears. I scramble backwards, hitting the couch, and then look up to see Cole run in. Since his gi is black, my vision deceives me and makes me see the silhouette. He leans over, trying to calm me down, but I thrash around, screaming again. I'm in complete panic, and nothing else. No sadness, no anger, just panic.

"K… i… K…i… Ka… ai… Kai!" I hear Nya, I think, cry out, arms wrapping around me. I'm suddenly sat on her legs as she hugs and rocks me in her arms. She wraps my arms around her and continues hugging me. "…I thought you'd be better…"

I know what she means, the thought bringing tears to my eyes as I suddenly cling onto her as if my experiences were going to drag me away from safety.

 _"_ _They took Nya…" Kai sadly mused._

 _"_ _I told you," The old man hit my head with his bamboo stick. "Useless."_

 _I was furious to say the least. "Argh! You could have done something! You could have used your… Twistjitzu or your-"_

 _The old man huffed and corrected me. "Spinjitzu!"_

I fall back against her and she whispers my name.

"Spinjitzu…" I murmur, remembering the word.

 _Jay learned it first…_

"Jay…"

 _We learnt it before we could use it._

"Cryptic…"

"Kai?"

I look up at her but don't see her, I'm lost in my thoughts and I'm not seeing anything.

"Kai?"

I break out my thoughts and look up at her. She frowns down at me, runs a hand through my flattened hair without a sound, the only sound leaving her is her heavy breaths.

And before I know it, she's breaking down, crying, clinging onto me as if I were her world and nothing else mattered. She grips me tightly, her tears rolling down her cheeks and tapping my shoulders.

I hug her back silently, rubbing her back. It seems so natural, as if I've done it a million times.

 _"_ _Nya!" … Nya… younger sister… "… Protect her…" Nya is your younger sister._

"K-Kai?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry…"

Silence as I close my eyes and rest my chin on her shoulder. "For what…?" I quietly reply, not moving. She holds me even tighter.

"Not being there…"

I stay silent.

"I'm glad he's gone though. Now we know no one can hurt you."

"Hm."

"You hear me Kai? _No one_ can hurt you."

I heard her. I just didn't believe it.

 **(Shadow's POV, Cell, Present Tense)**

I swear to the Spinjitzu Master, I didn't do it! I didn't hurt Kai, I didn't torture him! Heck, I didn't see him for ages!

Why can't they understand that?

"I didn't do it for fuck's sake!" I yell at the guards as they walk past. Like usual, they ignore me.

I've been in this shitty cell for a week now, and they've given up telling me to shut up, thinking I'm just asking for attention. I'm not though, I'm telling the truth!

Like Mother told me to.

Can't believe she's dead…

But that's not the point! It wasn't me, I swear to God!

I heard what Neuro was doing though. Was he told it was me? Did something happen so he thought it was me, just like Invizable? Whatever it was, he shouldn't have started self-harming. If they hadn't found out in time, he might be six feet under.

I'd hate to be driven to self-harm or want to die – I wonder if he's okay now. I mean, I wouldn't dare to self-harm, but he's like my sweet but evil little nugget brother (he'd hate me if he knew I called him that. Shush…) and I'm really worried.

I'm two years and two months older than him – it's natural to want a little sibling to be safe, or so Griff says; he grew up with, like, twenty odd something. Probably exaggerating, but eh. Not like anyone's gonna give a fuck about whether my bro has twenty brothers in this goddamn fucking cell! I hit the wall angrily, hissing in pain at the impact. I hear a couple of chuckles, which I ignore, from prisoners and guards alike.

I mutter angrily to myself about how they're all jackasses. What? They are!

It's really quiet, without Griffin yelling in my ear or Neuro arguing with either of us or Karloff trying to make us happy. I mean, there's the odd yell, but it's full of cussing, and the usual arguments we had were really childish, like these:

"KARLOFF! SHADOW TOOK MY PENCIL!" – Griffin.

"KARLOFF! GRIFFIN HIT ME!" – Neuro.

"KARLOFF! NEURO SLAPPED ME FOR CALLING HIM AN EVIL NUGGET WHICH HE IS! OW!" – Yours truly. Heh.

"KARLOFF! GRIFFIN CALLED ME EMO BOY!" – Yet again, me. I am not an emo.

"KARLOFF! SHADOW KEEPS CALLING ME AN EVIL NUGGET!" – Neuro. I simply told him that if he could fit into a cardboard box without any pain or it falling apart, he was a nugget, and that he was evil. This then led onto me yelling that he slapped me because of it. Worth it.

"KARLOFF! NEURO STOLE A CARD FROM MY PACK!" – Griffin.

Although, sometimes they can be a little serious…

"KARLOFFSHADOWLOCKEDMEINTHECLOSETANDNOWI'MFREAKINGOUT!" – Griffin.

"KARLOFF, GRIFFIN'S STOLEN MY CLOTHES FOR TODAY!" – Neuro.

"KARLOFF, NEURO GOT ANGRY AND TRIED TO BURN MY FACE OFF!" – Me. That was NOT fun, or worth it. Neuro getting grounded and told to stay with Karloff for the next day was though.

"KARLOFF I'M STUCK IN THE CUPBOARD BECAUSE SHADOW LOCKED ME IN IT!" – Neuro. Even better, it was the highest cupboard in the kitchen. He was freaking out so much.

"KARLOFF, NEURO'S TRAPPED IN THE CUPBOARD IN THE KITCHEN!" – Griffin. The little snitch.

"KARLOFF, IT WASN'T ME!" – Guess.

Karloff never seems to lose his cool though. When he got Neuro out the cupboard (having to lift him down carefully) and Griff out the closet, he calmed them down before making me apologise. I had no real reason to lock Neuro in the cupboard, but Griffin had woken me up by slamming all the notes on the keyboard down. I was having a really good dream too!

Getting off track. I just miss them – the big brother, the annoying but cool little one and the evil little nugget brother.

It wasn't me, swear to Spinjitzu. They have to realise that! I'm Shadow; I wouldn't do anything to Kai. Okaaaay, maybe I wooould, but nothing that extreme! Maybe just lock him in a room of gingerbread men, or push him into a really deep pool and watch him freak out (and laugh), but I would let him live. Most probably. Maybe. No. Nah, just kidding, I'd let him live.

Anyway, and I'm not too sure who did it. You know, maybe Invizable told Neuro it was me, and then proceeded to tell him why it was. Maybe Invizable did it… Nah, I mean, Kai said he had black hair, and NO ONE knows what Invizable looks like.

… Maybe it was the other way around…

No, no, Neuro wouldn't. He's just an evil little nugget.

… Right?

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

I didn't even bother to try to stop my tears as I stared down at the ground, silent, mouth open as the tears slid in.

'Even though I'm the sacrifice,'

Tears really do taste salty… Look up.

'You won't try for me, not now.'

He came in, dagger in hand. The dagger used to hurt both of us, I realised.

'Though I'd die to know you love me,'

He cut my shoulder, set my clothes – which were no more than red rags – on fire, made me hurt badly. He was apologetic in his eyes, but not in his words.

'I'm all alone.'

I'm sorry for your loss Fire-Boy… But this is what made this happen.

'Isn't someone missing me?'

What?

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

 **(Karloff's POV, Flat, Present Tense)**

I sit beside Neuro and Griffin on the couch, both on either side, my arms around their shoulders. Neuro leans on my shoulder and hugs him. I smile weakly and ruffle his hair, sighing as he doesn't move. Griffin, unlike the fourteen year old, pulls away and slouches.

I consider ordering pizza, but dismiss it, remembering it was no secret Shadow hated most pizza. So I didn't.

"… Want order Chinese?" I ask my two little brothers; one nods, the other shrugs.

"Sure."

"Guess so."

I stand up, taking their orders and ordering it.

"I don't think I'll be able to look another pizza in the face again, nugget." I hear Griffin sigh, turning back to them as he turns to Neuro. "You know, you really gave us a scare there, buddy. If we hadn't got there in time, you might not be here."

Neuro stays silent, looking over at him.

"Don't give me that look, baby bro. You know the consequences of what could have happened."

"Yeah…" Neuro seems to be biting his lip; I can't tell from over here. "Sorry…"

Silence reigns over us as Griffin turns the television off, staring at the black screen almost wistfully. Longing for Shadow? I presume so.

"What wrong?" I ask, walking over. Neuro stands, mumbling something about drawing, and walks into his room, letting the door swing open and shut by itself. I sigh and turn to Griffin. "What wrong?"

"I miss Shadow…" Griffin throws himself onto me (A/N: … O.O SEXUAL VERSION SETTING IN –0– Pretend it's shut eyes) and hugs me. I wrap my arms around him tightly and pull him onto my lap as he starts crying. I rub his back gently.

"It okay… going to be okay…" I whisper in his ear, thanking the Spinjitzu Master I was tall. "Karloff promise." I hug Griffin tighter until he relaxes in my hold. Realising he is asleep; I take him to his and Neuro's room, where the Mind Master is too busy drawing to notice my coming in. I lay Griffin in his bed, glancing over at Neuro. He's sat down on the chair, pencil in hand, drawing like he said. I check if his bandages are loosely tied, for they sometimes come undone and he tries to wrap them again. Do you know how hard that is to do on your own body?

Seeing they are, I quickly check to see if there's any more cuts – none. He's scowling now but quietly lets me. I finish and check his legs and back as well – I take precautions. He's scowling and blushing now. "I'm not a toddler…"

"Karloff know that. Just taking precautions."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He huffs, getting back to his drawing.

"Karloff see?" I ask quietly.

"No." He doesn't move though, as if hoping I'll just leave – but how wrong he is. I peer over his shoulder to see him drawing a room. It's no bigger than a typical living room; this was obviously a basement, with no beds, a desk and chair, a cupboard, a cabinet and a closet.

On the desk, which is against a longer wall, is a pile of unorganised objects (which seem to be no more than silhouettes of what they are), some highlighted (paper, paperweights, glasses, ornaments) while some fade into the wall. The desk is lightly shaded using crosshatching with brown pencil. There's a silver-ish handle on it that's attached to a drawer; the drawer is open to reveal a series of weapons (whips, knives, etc.), which seems to shock me.

The chair is a wooden chair with poles on the back, the chair a dark brown colour like dark chocolate, and seems to be unstable. It's shaded very accurately.

The closet is a couple of shades lighter than the chair, and is leaning – literally, it's leaning – against a shorter wall, with one of the doors missing, showing it to be empty except for a discarded teddy bear and glassy picture frames. Some of the picture frames had cracks in. The remaining door had branch-like shapes carved into it with a bronze coloured handle. It would have reached the ceiling, the ceiling not being too high, had it stood straight.

The cupboard was beside the closet, halfway up the side, a few shades lighter, and the door was hanging open, showing off the cracked plates, cups and other culinary items and the family of spiders that lived on the bottom shelf. One of the spiders seemed to stare at the camera. Creepy as hell.

And finally, the cabinet. It was a light shade of brown and had clear glass to show off all the weapons in it. Knives, swords, whips, chains, etc. It was on the right side of the desk, easily in reach.

But what alarmed me was the figure chained to the short wall nearest the door. Chained up to the wall was-

"I said no!" Neuro scowled, pulling the drawing under his arm and looking angrily up at me.

"Neuro…"

"Yeah?"

"Why you drawing where Kai held?"

 **(Wu's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)**

I walk past the boys' room, which is empty aside the beds and their possessions, and into the game room, where Jay, Cole and Lloyd are playing video games, Zane is reading with, well almost to, Kai, voice soft and quiet, and Nya and Misako are watching the boys quietly. I sit beside Kai and Zane, next to Kai to be exact, and they look up, smile and go back to their book.

I turn to the three boys, but grow bored quickly, turning back to Kai and Zane.

"Zane?" I ask quietly, not to disturb the gamers. Both the Ice and Fire Master turn to look at me. "Can I speak to you? And just you."

Zane nodded, stood up and followed me out the room; Kai carried on reading. "Yes Sensei?"

"I fear that, despite, Shadow's," I hiss the word as if it were boiling venom on my tongue; my fists clench. "Arrest, Kai is still in danger."

Zane stays silent, as if he already knows what I mean but questions his answer. "What do you mean?"

"Kai's thoughts endanger him. If he is unable to let it go, he will forever be a shadow of the great Fire Master he was. Or, in this case, a dying flame. We must not only train him to retain his memories and become a better ninja, we must train him to let go of the past." My voice becomes nothing more than a whisper, low and regretful, as if it believes it was its fault that Kai had been tortured. He was like another nephew, perhaps a son, just like the other Ninja. I'm sure that if Nya became a ninja, with her Water Element (A/N: It's before the ghost season, but Wu and Misako obviously knew of her Element prior the season), that she would be the same, except a niece or a daughter. She already is, I suppose.

I feel regret and mentally tortured from what happened. What kind of Sensei, what kind of teacher, what kind of guardian, am I if I fail to protect one from the dangers of what he had gone through? A failure.

"… Sensei?" Zane asks quietly, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yes."

No.

 **(No One's POV, Monastery, Past Tense)**

It was around midnight, perhaps later, that the Ninja, Nya and their guardians decided to call it a day and go to sleep. It was a restless night which ended with Kai crawling into bed with Zane (the nightmares that plagued him being too much to take) and Lloyd staying up all night and watching television (until his mother told him to get into bed and he slept for two hours).

Jay slept in, Cole contrasting this by waking up super early, and Zane, Lloyd and Kai woke up at the normal time, more or less. Sensei Wu and Misako woke at their normal time, a little later than when Cole woke up.

Lloyd wanted to cook, but Kai decided to take it on his shoulders, with Zane watching him.

"Be careful with that knife!"

"I know Zane…"

"Don't hold it so near your fingers!"

"Sorry…" Kai gritted his teeth and held back a growl, chopping the potatoes quicker and harder.

"Are you sure you don't want me to put in the oven?"

"I'm sure, Zane." Kai snarled, biting back a snarky yell, emphasis on the 'sure'. "I'll be fin- OWW!" He screamed, dropping the chopped potatoes into the oven as his wrist hit the rack above. "OWW!"

"Kai!" Zane rushed him to the sink, turned on the tap, pulled his hand under the cold water and held it there firmly. "I told you to be careful."

Kai sulked.

"Now hold your arm there, and I will finish up the dinner, okay?"

"Fine, fine."

"Don't get like that with me, Kai." He tutted, getting on with the dinner. Kai only mocked him with the unburnt hand. "I can see you." Kai merely scowled.

Ten minutes passed. Kai retracted his now numb wrist from the freezing water. "Can I take over now?"

"It's done already."

"Can I serve it?"

"Of course." Zane stepped back to allow Kai to grab two of the plates, Cole and Wu's to be exact. He then let Kai grab Misako and Lloyd's. It was then Jay and his own plate, and then Kai brought in his and Nya's. They waited, the others thanked Kai and Zane for the meal and they began digging into the meal.

Jay was blabbering on and on with Nya about some invention while Wu and Misako were whispering to each other. There would be jagged conversation between Cole, Lloyd and Zane, the last one also trying to get Kai to join in.

Despite being more like his old self, Kai was still the quiet bookworm. He'd outgrown his shyness, but avoided conversation, even with the Ninja (especially Jay). He had become somewhat of a hot-headed Zane – he listened to others, scarcely butting into the conversation unless necessary or asked to. Not that Zane was completely like that.

"Don't you think it's great that Shadow's gone?" Lloyd quickly said, unable to stop it before it came out of his mouth. After the comment, his face held an expression of regret; all eyes darted to the Master of Fire, who seemed to have frozen, knife and fork poised above the sausage (A/N: I have no idea. Don't judge meh.), smiling, but obviously full of pain; his eyes showed that. Tears gathered there, the smile dropped as did the cutlery he held and his hands fell to his sides. He stared at his food for a moment before standing up, and he walked away without a word. "I'm… sorry."

"I do not think it is your fault, Lloyd. Kai is still traumatised from the experience." Wu voiced quietly. They heard trembling sobs from the other room, screams of rage, vases being smashed and pillows thumping against the wall or floor. Cole stood, eyes wide.

"He could hurt himself."

Silence. The dining room paused, before hearing loud sobs and an even louder thump. Zane stood up, pushing away his plate, and walked to the other room.

Kai lay near the couch, clothes (he didn't wear his gi – he wasn't really a ninja. He now wore a red shirt, jeans and red and black trainers) torn, skin bleeding slowly (mostly his hands), curled up.

"Kai…?" Zane whispered, the glass crunch beneath his trainer clad metal feet.

"I…" Interrupted by Zane pulling him into a hug, he loosened up, sobbing into the metal chest. Zane was wary of short-circuiting, but nonetheless he cradled Kai in his metal arms, shushing him and allowing Kai to bury his head into his chest. He held him tight, as if to reassure Kai he'd never let him go, and Kai returned the favour, squeezing Zane tightly as if never wanting to leave.

As if Zane would let him leave.

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I paused for a second, looking up at him. Fear was caught in his eyes, yet he smiled happily.

'Take me high and I'll sing.'

He hummed a song, slow and quiet, and it was a song I knew.

'Oh you make everything,'

It wasn't a happy song, oh no, but it wasn't a sad song.

'Okay, okay, okay,'

He hummed louder and louder with each new line, his forced smile getting smaller and smaller.

'Kay, okay, okay.'

I backed away from him as he advanced.

'We are one in the same.'

Don't go, Fire-Boy… Don't look so scared…

'Oh you take all of the pain,'

Please, Fire-Boy… Don't let me be alone…

'Away, away, away.'

Not again, never again.

'Way, away, away.'

… I was silent, taking in it in.

'Save me if I become,'

What did he mean?

'My demons.'

… Why was he doing this?

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 **(Neuro's POV, Flat, Present Tense)**

I stay quiet, wanting to avoid the question. I'd seen it before, when… when we were captured and tortured by the fake captor. Yeah. That was when I saw it.

"Why?" Karloff murmurs, pulling the drawing out from under my arms, inspecting it further.

"… I don't know…" I mumble, refusing to look at him as he mutters to himself. "It was the only thing that came into mind…"

I feel him stare at my forehead, I don't turn to look at him though, and he frowns – I can feel it.

The drawing is put back on the desk, I look up at it but not at him, and I hear him trudge away. The door slams shut, and Griffin mumbles in his sleep. I look back at the drawing, look at Griffin, scowl and shove the damn thing on the shelf with the rest of my creations. I'm tempted to remove the bandages and dig around for knives or lighters, but it seems Karloff had pretty much baby-proofed the whole flat, hiding the knives and lighters (and other potential objects that I could use to self-harm) somewhere.

Instead I go and lie in bed, curling up and snuggling under the covers, only everything above my nose being seen.

Griffin wakes up and turns to look at me, chuckling as I look at him. Stands up. Walks over. Ruffles my hair so it's scruffy, making me scowl, and walks away, smirking.

I yawn and close my eyes, hoping to get SOME sleep. But no. My eyes open immediately, refusing to shut. Suppressing a groan, I fall onto my back and stare up at the ceiling, kicking off the covers.

I sigh again, quietly. Curl up, hug my knees, burrow under the covers. My body burns because it's so hot, but I ignore it. I pull a pillow under and rest my head on it.

Why can't my mind just let me sleep?

 **(Cole's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)**

I hear the soft notes of a piano being played – Lloyd bought a keyboard a while back (before the Overlord) and he just found it again. But Lloyd's sat next to me.

Zane's in the kitchen, making lunch, and I think Jay's out with Nya, he wanted to tell her something.

Kai?

"My legs are dangling off the edge. The bottom of the bottle is my only friend. I think I'll slit my wrists again and I'm gone, gone, gone, gone."

We stay silent as we hear the somewhat soft yet sharp voice resonates throughout the monastery, killing the silence.

"My legs are dangling off the edge. A stomach full of pills didn't work again; I'll put a bullet in my head and I'm gone, gone, gone, gone."

Lloyd shuts his eyes, bobs his head to the piano, a grim expression on his face. This song seems to explain everything… Such a happy beat…

Kai starts rapping slowly. "Gone too far and yeah, I'm gone again. It's gone on too long, tell you how it ends. I'm sitting on the edge with my two best friends, one's a bottle of pills, one's a bottle of gin. I'm 20 stories up, yeah; I'm up at the top. I'll polish off this bottle, now it's pushing me off. Asphalt to me has never looked so soft. I bet my mamma found my letter, now she's calling the cops. I gotta take this opportunity before I miss it, because now I hear the sirens and they're off in the distance. Believe me when I tell you that I've been persistent, cause I'm more scarred, more scarred than my wrist is. I've been trying too long; with too dull of a knife, but tonight I made sure that I sharpened it twice. I never bought a suit before in my life, but when you go to meet God, you know you wanna look nice."

It's a pretty happy song, you can tell that even from the piano, but the lyrics are so depressing.

He's gone back to singing. "So if I survive, then I'll see you tomorrow, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

I close my eyes as well, listening to the song.

"My legs are dangling off the edge. The bottom of the bottle is my only friend. I think I'll slit my wrists again and I'm gone, gone, gone, gone. My legs are dangling off the edge. A stomach full of pills didn't work again. I'll put a bullet in my head and I'm gone, gone, gone, gone."

I open them, Lloyd does too, and I stand. The Green Ninja gives me a look, which I ignore. I walk out the room, Jay and Nya returning.

Kai's rapping again. "We hit the sky, there goes the light, no more sun, why's it always night? When you can't sleep, well, you can't dream, when you can't dream, well, what's life mean? We feel a little pity, but don't empathize. The old are getting older, watch a young man die. A mother and a son and someone you know, smile at each other and realize you don't, you don't know what happened to that kid you raised. What happened to the Father, who swore he'd stay? I didn't know because you didn't say. Now Mamma feels guilt, yeah, Mamma feels pain. When you were young, you never thought you'd die, found that you could but too scared to try. You looked in the mirror and you said goodbye. Climbed to the roof to see if you could fly."

He sings again. "So if I survive, then I'll see you tomorrow, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

I leave the room, head toward the room where the song is coming from.

"My legs are dangling off the edge. The bottom of the bottle is my only friend. I think I'll slit my wrists again and I'm gone, gone, gone, gone. My legs are dangling off the edge. A stomach full of pills didn't work again. I'll put a bullet in my head and I'm gone, gone, gone, gone."

I walk silently; I hear three other pairs of feet follow. I stop them, not knowing why myself.

His voice is cracking, breaking, just like he had been before Shadow's arrest. He sings, clearly choking down tears. "I wish that I could fly, way up in the sky, like a bird so high. Oh I might just try. I wish that I could fly, way up in the sky, like a bird so high. Oh I might just try. Oh I might just try…"

I slowly clap, he flinches, turns around. He rubs away the tears, turns away from the keyboard. Kai blushes and looks to the floor. "Did that song have any meaning?"

"It's the song my captor sang once. I learnt the lyrics and how to play it…" He murmurs, not looking up.

I smile a reassuring smile at him, rest my index and middle finger underneath his chin, lift his head to look at me, and whisper, "You played it very well."

He blushes even more.

"You got any other songs?" He shakes his head, I sigh in response. "Just don't let Sensei hear you. He might lock you up in our room and feed you anti-depressants." I joke – but by the look on his face he doesn't get it; he looks _terrified_. "Just joking, buddy." He blinks.

"That wasn't funny."

"Sorry." I pull him into a hug, burying my head in his shoulder, since I'm shorter than him. He used to have this smell, like strawberry jam, probably due to the gel in his hair. Now he doesn't, and the jam smell is replaced with the smell of blood. Yeah, _blood_. We don't know why. It's a sickening smell, makes me want to throw up – one time it did.

If you didn't know, you probably didn't to be fair, it's been half a month since Shadow was arrested, and a few days less than that since the other Elementals left. We still hear from them, just to make sure Shadow hasn't escaped somehow and they aren't dead. What? Is one not allowed to worry?

Kai hugs me back, rubbing my back, as if I'M the one who faced torture and abuse.

We shouldn't mention it so often, but Kai can't let it go. He still wakes up scared shitless, sometimes to the point where he's wet himself, and the nights he doesn't are either because he didn't sleep or because he didn't dream at all.

I squeeze him tightly, a bit tighter than I mean, as he coughs. "Sorry."

"It's cool dude." He whispers. I see Wu smirk from the doorframe. I know what he's thinking.

That's my hothead.

 **(Garmadon's POV, Cursed Realm, Present Tense)**

Hello.

I believe you know who I am – Lord Garmadon, Sensei Garmadon, Garmie, Storm-bather, whatever you want to call me.

Surprised that I am more than mentioned? If so, understandable.

Although I am not in the world of my brother, my wife, my son and, if one wishes, my 'other sons' and 'daughter', I am still amongst them, watching over them as if I were my deceased father. I know what has happened, why it happened and who caused it. I wish I could tell you who it was but, I assure you, you shall find out later. And also the author doesn't want me to. How're you doing SW23?

Anyway, that's not why I'm the one talking. I'm here to tell you something important.

I can tell you one thing. Come closer; we don't want the author to find out. Closer. Closer! Come on, don't be shy! Closer! Okay, perfect.

It wasn't Shadow. Shadow was framed. But by who? Hm…

Oh no, the author's coming! Go, shoo! Run for your lives, don't let her catch you!

… She's gone. Come back. Okay, so, it wasn't Shadow. I mean, you should have got that from the memories! Kai mentioned that his captor self-harmed; Shadow said he'd hate to be in the position of self-harmers, implying that he _doesn't_. So it wasn't him.

She's coming back. GO!

 **(Misako's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)**

I hug myself as I walk in the wintery winds, body buried in my big fluffy grey jumper. Stones crunch underneath my feet, and more stones crunch under someone else's feet.

I speed up, the person behind me does as well, I break into a run, they run. I wonder why I'd decided to visit Skylor when the streets of Ninjago were quiet and empty.

I run, my voice caught in my throat. I glance back, they're holding a knife. Where'd they get that from?!

I'm panicking, my breath quickens, I can't scream. He's going to get me. No! He won't get me! He can't get me!

Keep running, Misako, keep running…

I'm too old for this, for Spinjitzu's sake! Everything aches, especially my back. I'm panting, but I have to run.

I turn to look at him, to describe him if, WHEN, I get back. My eyes widen, and I fall to the floor on my back.

He advances on me; he chuckles as well, as I look up at him in fear.

Something screams about him that he's the one who tortured Kai and killed Dareth. Now he's going to kill me.

He closes his eyes, as if he regrets what he's about to do, as he brings the knife down on my chest where my heart is. I gasp.

I hope they catch him.

That's my last thought as I bleed out and die.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

Look at me, Fire-Boy. I'm SMILING.

'Oh, yo, yo,'

Isn't that a nice change? (He'd smiled at me, hurting in his eyes)

'There's a demon inside.'

Y-Yeah… (I'd stammered quietly, averting my gaze)

'Oh, yo, yo,'

What's wrong Fire-Boy? You don't seem happy yourself. (He'd gotten angry; he wanted me to be happy) WHY AREN'T YOU HAPPY?!

'Just like Jekyll and Hyde.'

I am! Really! (I had to fake a smile, I wanted him to heal)

'Oh, yo, yo,'

(He'd begun to choke down tears)

'All this anger inside.'

W-Why do you lie to me? (Tears stained his mask)

'Oh, yo, yo,'

I… I'm sorry… (How could he expect me to be happy in this situation? I wanted him to be okay, but…)

'I feel like Jekyll and Hyde.'

(He'd crumpled onto the floor, crying, and I was left to comfort him)

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

 **(Shadow's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)**

I don't know what it was that blew up the wall, but I'm not going to waste another second in this shithole! I run out the cell (thanking the Spinjitzu Master that the blast was where my cell was, and that I was in no way hurt), ignoring the orders from the guards.

No way am I going back there, no way Jose! Not back to the stale bread and warm water – Griffin cooks better than that! Okay… I admit that I may be exaggerating just a little… A lot… Yeah, nothing's worse than Griffin's cooking. At least you can swallow Cole's.

I don't remember a lot over the few days of my escape (what, did you really think it'd take a day for me to get to the monastery?). I remember getting to Stiix (I got a train, I think) and hiding out in this guy's shop (Ronin? Yeah, Ronin) until he was able to get a different outfit for me, which I needed so bad.

I'd been wearing a black hoodie with a grey shirt, black jeans and grey and white trainers. He gave me a red jacket with a white shirt, ripped blue jeans and red and white Nike trainers. I was told to put my hood up (for reasons :P) and be on my way. I caught a train to Ignacia, which was as close to the monastery I could get, before continuing my journey on foot. I was actually offered a lift by someone who was bringing in Chen's noodles from the factory (Ignacia was now used as a harbour as well), so I quickly accepted and called her a gift from the First Spinjitzu Master, to which she blushed.

I ended up hiding behind the many, many boxes of noodles in case I got recognised by anyone on the road. She had to make a few stops, but to make up for that, she let me eat some of the noodles for free. Nice gal.

I then had to hide out in Chen's Noodle House, where Skylor was. She had seen the news, didn't trust me so much, but I begged for her to let me stay. She said yeah, but I had to leave within a week.

So that's where we are now. I usually hide out in the basement – with the spiders. Nice people – until closing time. We watch the news together a little, I hide if people come banging on the windows or doors.

 _Misako Garmadon is dead, or murdered. It's presumed Shadow, the torturer of Kai Smith and killer of Dareth Mojo._ (A/N: I tried. I needed a last name for Dareth.)

"You didn't, did you?" Skylor shoots me a look.

"Yeah, I made a clone of myself last night and murdered Misako for no reason!" I sarcastically reply, rolling my eyes at the redhead.

"No need to be snarky." She sighs and rolls her eyes back at me. "You best go down in the basement, Shady, cause I'm going home. Night."

"See ya." She leaves the lights on for me to turn off myself, leaves the building and locks it shut. I sigh, look back up to the television and frown.

There's a picture of Misako, alive and well, smiling. Then they replace it with her bloody corpse. I shudder. She must have seen them, her murderer, because the stab mark is right in her chest and doesn't impale her. It's kind of depressing. Why do they show much death and pain and shit? Would it kill them to tell a happy story? Or are they allergic to happiness?

Sighing again, I turn off the television and lights before retreating downstairs to the basement.

Tomorrow, I'd continue my journey.

…

Boy, tomorrow sure came quick! I was half awake at 5am before Skylor slapped me awake. Sheesh, that girl and her wake up calls.

"You're leaving?" She almost seemed sad about it. I nodded.

"Got no choice, buttercup. If I'm going to get to the monastery and plead my innocence, I gotta do it quick."

"Says the teen that spent five days here."

"Shuddup."

"No thanks." I roll my eyes once again before grabbing a bowl of noodles.

"To go please."

She gave a knowing smirk and piled the noodles into the takeaway box. "Get out of here before the streets pile up."

"Nice to see you too." She unlocked the door and watched me leave before switching the sign from 'Closed' to 'Open'. Aw, she opened up early just for me. She does have a heart.

As I chow down on the noodles, I trudge down the streets of the city, the way the monastery is. I pass the block of flats where Karloff's is – I see Griffin looking out. I can't help but stare up as he stares down. I look away sharpish and continue to walk away.

What does he think of me?

A rapist? A murderer? Dangerous? Of course he does, we humans believe anything on the news.

I just want to be proved innocent – I didn't do it. I must have been framed.

By who though?

 **(Kai's POV, Monastery, Present Tense)**

I think I'm okay now. I mean, it's been ages – I don't dream of him that much anymore, I don't see him anymore.

I'm fine. Right?

I feel normal as well; I'm joking around; I'm determined to win. I feel like Kai – the one before this – and the others say I am more like the Fire Ninja I used to be.

If we had missions, I'm sure I'd go too now. It's pretty boring sitting around reading.

I've started to gel my hair again – although I had to get out of the shower, get dressed and ask Nya to help me. She simply took my hands into hers and gelled my hair with my hands. This continued for a while until I remembered the movements. According to Jay, I looked fabulous. Somehow I managed to get my hair exactly like the one in the pictures (cause you know, I'm so anime).

There's just one thing missing.

Some of my memories.

I can't remember much before I became a ninja. I have images – me blacksmithing, skeletons, a water tank… Nothing else.

I just want to be normal.

I just want to be fully Kai!

…

Ugh… Mornings… I hate morning… Ow, the sun's in my eyes! Ugh…

Damn, it's Monday. Is it? I dunno, I'm not good with calendars. Wait, there isn't a calendar. Ugh…

Sorry, I'm a little… confused in the morning. But aren't we all?

I sit up, I swear I see a shadow, but it disappears quickly. I shrug it off and get out of bed, pulling a plain white T-shirt on with rugged jeans and red trainers. I yawn, trudge to the kitchen and make myself a coffee. I forgot the coffee machine – like Cole says, it makes crap coffee. And I love coffee.

See another shadow – must be going insane – and this one lingers until Zane enters.

"Good morning Kai. I see you rested well."

"Yeah… Now I need coffee…"

Zane gives a small chuckle before beginning to make our breakfast (bacon never looked so good). "It is good to have you back, Kai."

"Good to be back." He gives a quick smile to me before going back to the bacon.

Something feels wrong. It just does.

I walk into the game room; the hairs on the back of my neck stick up as I feel warm air hit it. I cringe for a second, shuddering as well, before sitting down on the couch and picking up a controller – the same one I used before. It fits my hand shape perfectly, as if moulded. I look up to the screen. That's when I see it.

 _Someone's standing behind me._

I spin around, spin too fast and fall to the floor – there he is! Shadow!

Wait… his arms… He reaches out, mouth opened as if to speak.

My brothers run in, weapons unsheathed, worried and concerned looks turn into angered and confused looks.

"Shadow! Why aren't you in your cell awaiting trial?!" Zane scowls – it doesn't look right on his gentle facial features – as he points his shurikens at the supposed rapist.

"I have to tell you something!" He yells, only to get a shuriken beside his face. Where an uncaring expression is usually placed, there's fear and pleading. My brothers don't pick it up at all.

Jay scowls – why does he have to ruin his face with that expression?! – and swings his nunchucks at him. "We don't wanna hear it! Why trust a liar and murderer?!"

"Just hear me out!"

"NO!"

My brothers leap forward, dropping their weapons, about to blast him into the Dark Island with their powers.

"STOP!" I scream, running forward.

They stop themselves inches before hitting me, I flinch, and they stare at me.

"He's the one who hurt you, Kai! He fucked you without your permission!"

"No he isn't!" I gasp out, remembering every time I'd seen my captor do it.

"… How do you know that?"

"Because my captor self-harmed!"

Silence graces the room, only our breathing audible.

"Kai…? What do you mean?"

"He tried to kill himself back then – I convinced him not to, and he stabbed me! But he cut himself! He hated, _hates_ , himself! He cut his arms!" As they stare at me in disbelief, I grab Shadow's arm and tug him forward. "… Look at Shadow's arms."

They do. Shadow's arms are cut-less, scar-less, clean. Nothing.

"Shadow didn't do it."

"No…" Lloyd repeated in a whisper, stroking Shadow's arm before realising what he was doing and drawing it back. "He didn't."

 **(No One's POV, Streets of Ninjago, Past Tense)**

"Where are we going?!" Jay asked as he, his brothers and Shadow ran down the streets of Ninjago, panting all the way.

"I know who really did it!"

Shadow paused, realisation sinking in. As the others ran ahead, he shook his head. "No… It can't be…"

Running feet echoed behind him, and before he even realised was going on, he was running. They followed.

No longer where they running to the culprit, they were running from the culprit.

Lloyd did not want to end up like his mother.

Kai did not want to die after all he'd survived.

Run, run, run…

How long had it been, how long had they been running, how much longer could they last without falling?

Not too long, Cole guessed, for his legs were already weakening.

Jay fell, but bounced up and continued running – he had to.

Run or die time, Walker.

A blood-curdling scream echoed through the air, the Ninja froze.

Shadow's shoulder was impaled, he bled so much, and he stumbled. Zane and Lloyd caught him.

Karloff and Griffin ran down the road, grabbed the stabber.

Kai looked at the masked face. He knew who it was. He didn't need them to pull down the mask.

"Care to do the honours, Fire-Boy?" The voice must have meant to be threatening, but sounded scared and broken.

"No." I whispered angrily. "I _don't_ want to unmask you, I don't even need to! I know who you are; I've seen your face a million times. I could have easily told them, had I remembered your name. Now I remember it, and I know why you did it. But if you think I am going to spare you from doing it, think again buddy. Because I am Kai, and I am back." I paused, glaring at him. "You know what to do, right?"

He was silent under the mask.

"Do it. Take off the mask. Let us know your true identity. Don't be 'the captor' or 'Kai's captor' or whatever else we call you. Let us know who you are."

He gulped as he placed a shaking hand on his mask.

He pulled it off.

 _Neuro._

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

He crumpled to the floor, crying before me. I couldn't sympathise for him; he'd beat me numb.

'What if I can't forget you?'

He didn't want it anything, and it wasn't as if he deserved it.

'I'll burn your name into my throat.'

He'd done too much to me today.

'I'll be the fire that'll catch you.'

I'd been burnt, I'd been stabbed, I'd been raped, I'd been used, I'd been abused, I'd been hated, I'd been…

'What's so good about picking up the pieces?'

He did one good thing to me today.

'None of the colours ever light up anymore in this hole.'

He'd loved me.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

What?

… Why was he doing this?

He'd crumpled onto the floor, crying, and I was left to comfort him.

He'd loved me.

 **SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/SICK/**

A/N:

Oh my Garmadon guys. I've completed it – the chapter anyway.

Holy shit. WHOO! This was so fun to write.

Heh. I truly am a horrible person, aren't I?

So what did ya think? What part was your favourite?

I'm just going to say it now – there WILL be a sequel of this. I could be nice and say what happens in it but… I'm not gonna.

So please leave reviews on this, and I can already say I have two replacement fanfictions for when this project is completed:

Crystal Kids (A Steven Universe Fanfiction)

Blue Silence (An Amazing World of Gumball Fanfiction)

Thank you for reading this!

Songs used:

First Memory with Kai's Captor: Missing by Evanescence

Second Memory with Kai's Captor: My Demons by Starset

Kai's Song: Bullet by Hollywood Undead

Third Memory with Kai's Captor: Jekyll and Hyde by Five Finger Death Punch

Fourth Memory with Kai's Captor: Caraphernelia by Pierce the Veil


End file.
